The Dragon Keeper's Wife
by C.Weasley
Summary: Hermione and Charlie Weasley have a one night stand, but things change when the Ministry reinstates an old Marriage Law.
1. Prologue & The New Lockheart

**AN**: I promise I don't own the magical world of Harry Potter. If I did, things would've gone a LOT differently (as far as relationships are concerned!).

This is obviously set in an AU, so don't expect every little detail to match up. If you're the kind of reader that does, I'm jealous of your memory, but you'll probably be disappointed as you read this story.

Prior to editing, this was originally split into two chapters. But a technological mishap resulted in me combining both of them out of pure laziness.

* * *

**Prologue**

Hermione woke up feeling rather groggy. It sounded like someone was pounding on her head with a hammer. She tried to remember the amount of Firewhiskey she had consumed last night. Certainly more than she had ever had before!

Hermione's eyes flew open when she heard someone else groan. She slowly sat up, moving to lean against the headboard.

Where was she? And who was with her?

Hermione looked around, trying to figure out where she was. She was in some hotel in Hogsmeade, apparently. She guessed she was in the hotel above the Three Broomsticks.

The man in question was holding a pillow over his head, his face buried into the mattress. The sheet rested below his waist which left his back exposed.

Hermione's eyes widened when she noticed a tattoo. Just as she noticed, the man rolled over with his face pressed against the bottom of the pillow. Hermione grinned in appreciation of the man's very defined six-pack. Drunken Hermione had good taste!

She also saw a leather bracelet on his wrist with letters inscribed on the leather. Hermione's eyes narrowed in suspicion when she saw a W. She couldn't tell his first initial was, though.

She only knew of one family whose last name started with a W.

Hermione had gotten drunk off Firewhiskey _and_ she'd shagged a Weasley. It certainly wasn't Ron, since Ron wasn't nearly as muscular and scarred as this guy was.

Hermione knew Ron's physique like the back of her own hand. She and Ron had been dating for nearly a year, and it was getting pretty serious. Just the other day Ginny was telling Hermione about how Ron was shopping for an engagement ring.

Hermione closed her eyes in shame when she realized the scope of what she'd done. Good-girl Hermione Granger had cheated on Ronald Weasley with one of his brothers.

Hermione was already wishing this hadn't happened.

Hermione stared at her companion, searching for more clues. She saw he was wearing a piece of leather (much skinnier than the one around his wrist) around his neck, forming a necklace. A huge tooth, or so Hermione assumed, hung off the necklace.

Only one magical creature had teeth that big.

Dragons.

Hermione only knew one person with a fascination for dragons. He also happened to be a Weasley.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione grabbed Charlie Weasley's arm and shook it. He groaned and turned on his side, pulling his arm away from her.

Hermione shivered and it occurred to Hermione that she didn't know what she was wearing. She felt her cheeks burn when she realized she wasn't wearing anything. Hermione got out of the bed, taking in the hotel room. She winced when pain shot through her.

Hermione saw her bra, hanging off the corner of the Muggle television. Grabbing it she hooked it in place while she started searching for her shirt. Hermione couldn't even remember what color it was.

All she could find was Charlie's shirt. It was a old looking supporting Ron's Quidditch team, the Chudley Cannons. Hermione snatched it in frustration and pulled it over her head.

This time, Hermione poked Charlie's side. He groaned and turned over again. Hermione got in the bed, hoping he'd feel that the bed was moving.

Waking up Ron was never this difficult.

"Charlie," Hermione hissed, poking him again. She grinned, victorious, when Charlie's eyes snapped open, the blue irises focused on her.

"Hermione?" Charlie whispered in disbelief, staring at her. He'd sat up and he was leaning against the headboard. He rubbed his hair in an attempt to smooth it, but it only made it the mess worse. Thankfully, the sheets were still around his waist. Deeming it safe, Hermione stayed near the foot of the bed, her legs crisscrossed in a sitting position. She pulled part of her sheet over her exposed vagina.

"We fucked," Charlie stated, glancing around the room, taking in her appearance. Hermione nodded once.

Charlie was grinning at her, the picture of a proud male.

"Charlie! This is a serious mistake! I'm dating your brother. He just went shopping for engagement rings. Oh Merlin, we didn't even use protection." Hermione stated, all of her thoughts rushing out at once. She got off the bed and started to pace while attempting to even her breathing.

"Engagement rings? _Ron_? Really?" Hermione glared at Charlie, suddenly angry. That was the only thing he cared about? Didn't he see how this situation could ruin her entire future?

"Some people, unlike yourself, are capable of committing to _ONE_ witch for his whole life." Hermione felt a usual need to defend Ron.

Hermione was quickly losing her patience. She was out of here. She didn't have to deal with this. She uncrossed her arms and began to search for her clothes again.

"Try the hallway," Charlie muttered so quietly that Hermione almost missed it. Hermione walked over to the door and slowly opened it, listening to make sure there wasn't a crowd of people in the hallway. She wanted to keep this fiasco a secret, and she was going to take it to the grave.

She couldn't decide if she was relieved or mortified to find her clothes lying in a pile in front of the threshold. Either way, Hermione quickly snatched her clothes and shut the door. The fewer people who see her clothes the better. Not that anyone would connect the slutty outfit to Hermione Granger, though.

Turning so he couldn't see her chest, Hermione pulled off Charlie's shirt and threw it towards the bed.

"Hermione." She ignored him.

"Hermione!"

"What is this, the silent treatment? _Hermione_!"

"We're going to have an adult conversation eventually, baby."

Memories of Charlie whispering the endearment in her ear as she made love to him floated through her thoughts, but she continued to ignore him. She maneuvered into her shirt, which was a tight, black, lacy top. It left little to the imagination. She reached for her denim mini skirt. Hermione gave up trying to find her favorite red thong.

He gasped suddenly, loud enough to distract her silent reciting of the Headmasters of Hogwarts in chronological order. She had to ignore him somehow.

"You have a tattoo... New, by the looks of it." Charlie's words almost stopped Hermione's heart. She faced him, wishing she could tell if he was being serious or if his personality was mirrored his twin brothers'. She honestly didn't know him well enough to know.

Using his expression to decide he was serious, Hermione raced to the full-length mirror in the room. She positioned herself in front of it, looking over her shoulder at her backside. Well, at least it wasn't in a place that it couldn't be hidden. By process of elimination, she lifted up her top and there it was.

Hermione Jane Granger had a tramp stamp.

In the form of a dragon. She couldn't decide if she was more confused as to her tattoo's location choice or her choice of a dragon.

Hermione ran out into the bedroom, where Charlie was still lounging against the headboard. He almost looked bored.

"You have one, too."

He only raised one red eyebrow in response. Charlie got out of bed, naked, and walked over towards her. Along the way he came across his boxers and pulled them on.

Hermione tried to not blatantly stare, but she couldn't tear her eyes away. He really was a beautiful man. Her mouth dropped open in surprise when she noticed his own tattoo, which was angrily staring at her from his bicep.

"An OTTER?" Charlie exclaimed, flexing his muscles and examining his tattoo. It was then Hermione noticed the clock on the wall. She was going to be late for brunch with Ron!

"Let's just forget this ever happened. I'm going to be late for a date with Ron," Hermione stated quickly, not really caring whether or not he was listening. She just couldn't be late for her date with Ron, the love of her life.

She heard Charlie call her name before she Apparated out of the hotel room.

* * *

**_One Month_** _**Later**_

It was already the end of their last summer as Hogwarts students. They were meeting the Hogwarts Express tomorrow morning, and the Weasleys were having their usual end-of-summer family dinner. Even Percy was attending this meal with a scowl on his face the entire time.

Percy tended to avoid the Burrow, but he'd started making more appearances since Harry had defeated Voldemort. Probably due to some pressure from Molly, Percy had seen the errors in his past judgment. Most of his family had forgiven him, except Ron was still unsure.

Charlie was home from Romania, much to Hermione's annoyance and fear. He'd also had really brief but successful stunt as a professional Quidditch player for the Irish. He would tell you he was a professional Keeper for a while after he lost a high-stakes bet with his best friend on the dragon reserve. He wouldn't go into the specifics of the bet, though.

Hermione felt a peculiar heat sensation on her lower back whenever Charlie was near, or whenever she caught him looking at her from afar. She countered his weird behavior by both parties by gluing herself to Ron's side throughout the entire evening.

So she was more than a little hesitant when Molly pushed her towards the open seat by Charlie. He shrugged and pulled out the seat for her.

"Now, come dear. Charlie doesn't bite."

Hermione closed her eyes in embarrassment and unwelcome memories reminded her of the sensation of Charlie's teeth scraping against her skin as they were tangled in white sheets. Knowing she was fighting a losing battle, she dropped into the seat and Charlie pushed her chair closer to the table and he whispered in her ear as he did so.

"At least not in front of the family." Hermione glared at him, but his facial features clearly told her that he was just joking.

"That's not funny," Hermione hissed as her hands clenched into fists. She saw his eyes focus on her fists and he looked away from her, accepting the basket of rolls George passed him.

"Relax, witch. Or the family might start to suspect that something's up."

Harry and Ginny were the only ones that knew of Hermione's infidelity and her tattoo. Harry had caught sight of her tattoo one day when they had visited a Muggle swimming pool. Pictures of that day had ended up in _the Prophet_, but thankfully none featured of Hermione's backside (Harry's was a different story).

Ron, much to Hermione's amazement, hadn't yet discovered her tattoo. She'd put glamour on it every time they'd made love. She was rather lucky he wasn't the type to surprise her with lovemaking at an unusual time or place. She would have preferred to get it removed, but Wizarding tattoos were especially impossible to remove. Hermione made eye contact with Ron, who was seated across from her, and smiled in an attempt to seem relaxed.

"How is it that Muggle ink isn't as permanent as Wizarding ink?" Mr. Weasley asked Harry and Hermione. Hermione froze in surprise and nearly choked on her ButterBeer. She couldn't help but notice that Charlie seemed rather still as he looked at his father.

Thankfully, Harry reacted quickly answered Mr. Weasley's question with ease. Hermione risked looking at Ginny, and the younger witch was clearly trying really hard to hold back her laughter.

Mr. Weasley continued Harry the differences between Muggle tattoos and Wizarding tattoos. Ron had stuffed food in his face the entire time practically oblivious to the conversation and Hermione's attitude.

"Charlie," Mrs. Weasley interrupted Mr. Weasley's discussion, "Hogwarts is looking for a new Defense professor."

"That's nothing new, Mum. Everyone knows that the position's been cursed," Charlie said, giving his mother a curious look.

Hermione was curious, too. She wondered why the woman had brought the subject into the conversation. It was as if they had planned to make Hermione feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Well, I think you should consider taking it. I've already discussed the possibility with Minerva," Molly stated, shocking the entire Weasley family.

"He's got a good job already, Mum." Bill said, shooting his brother an apologetic look. Ron always told her that Bill and Charlie were really close and usually had similar opinions and thoughts.

"Not to mention, teaching Ron and I would be weird," Ginny added, buttering another roll.

"Charlie, you're getting older. Maybe it's time to settle down. Dragon keeping is extremely dangerous and meant for young, single men." Mrs. Weasley continued, smiling at her son.

Hermione certainly didn't consider Charlie Weasley to be older in his years. He was only a few years older than she. She didn't know how many exactly.

"I am settled, Mum. I've got a steady job and a cottage of my own. I made a ton of money last year as a keeper," Charlie defended himself with a slightly annoyed tone to his voice.

"I want grandchildren, Charlie." Mrs. Weasley stated bluntly, the smile gone from her face.

"Youz has Victoire," Fleur added, playing with her baby. Victoire was constrained in her high chair between her parents, gumming on mashed potatoes and bread.

"And I do love Victoire, Fleur dear, but I want a household full of laughing children at holidays. While I'm young enough to enjoy them." Molly said with a wishful tone to her voice, and her eyes held a faraway gaze.

Hermione felt Ron's gaze on her at the mention of children. She met his gaze and smiled, even though she wasn't quite sure she wanted to think about having children with Ron yet. They haven't even graduated Hogwarts or gotten secure jobs.

"I won't meet women at Hogwarts, Mum. Well, women I can legally marry. ," Charlie added, causing the boys to laugh in appreciation.

"Why would you marry them before shagging them-?" George asked, and Fred picked up on the end of his twin's sentence.

"Because that's illegal, too." Fred wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at his older brother in question. Charlie grinned back before helping himself to another piece of ham.

"Imagine all the first years that would lust after you, Charlie," Hermione said, feeling like she had to contribute to the conversation. She normally helped the weaker side of the Weasley debates.

"It would be like Lockheart all over again," Ron muttered, shaking his head in disgust.

"It would be good to have another Order member in the castle," Harry added, a small smile on his face. "Even though Voldemort is long gone, extra ears and hands will be helpful." Hermione knew he caught the glare she threw his way. She didn't want Charlie in her castle everyday!

"Why don't you give it a year, Charlie? If you don't like it, you can't quit." Mr. Weasley added, frowning at Charlie.

"He'd die before then, Dad. The position's cursed," Ginny reminded the table. Heads moved up and down in agreement.

Hermione noticed that Percy had remained silent during this argument. He probably didn't want to rock boats, Hermione assumed. He was looking at her with a calculating gaze, though. It was almost scary.

"Fine, Mum. I promise I'll think about it, okay? Now can we drop the subject, please?" Charlie decided, angrily piercing a piece of his meat.

* * *

Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Harry took their usual compartment on the train the next morning. They'd just barely made it to the train on time.

"Poor Charlie," Ginny stated, looking directly at Hermione.

Hermione glared at her, tilting her head in Ron's direction. He was seated next to her, looking out the window. Not that Ron would notice any of the silent conversation the girls were having, though. Harry shrugged, clearly indicating his indifference to the potential situation.

"I bet he takes the job," Ron proposed, surprising Hermione. She hadn't realized he was listening. "Because when Mum's nagging, she'll get her way."

"Charlie doesn't usually give in to Mum, though. That's why he works in Romania, though. They lock horns too much. They became much closer after he took that job." Ginny's opinions made sense to Hermione. She had always wondered why Charlie was never at any of the Weasley gatherings. His siblings seemed to adore him, unlike Percy.

"Mum hates the dragons," Ron added, as if that were a big announcement. Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes. What sane mother would want her child fighting dragons in Romania for a living?

"Every mother does, Ron," Hermione said, opening her new book. Hermione's book just happened to discuss everything dragon related. It was picked unintentionally, but it was definitely a subject that had been more interesting to her than usual.

Hermione blocked out the rest of the conversation, her nose in her book the entire ride.

* * *

Ron wrapped his arm around Hermione's waist as they walked off the train towards Hagrid's familiar shadow in the dark.

"Aye, you lot look happy!" Hagrid greeted them, wrapping them in a huge hug. They said their hellos before following the crowd into the castle.

Hermione noticed an empty seat at the Head Table, the seat where the Defense professor normally sat. Hermione sent a relieved look in Ginny's direction, and the other witch simply shrugged.

"If he decides to take the job, he'll drag his feet about it." Ginny whispered as the rest of the students took their steats.

Headmistress McGonagall started the opening speech, which Hermione was very interested to hear. McGonagall had decided to announce Head Boy and Girl during the opening speech.

Hermione took a deep breath, anxiously waiting for McGonagall to call her name. Ron found her knee underneath and squeezed in it a supportive gesture.

"Well, you've all been waiting to hear who will be your Head Boy and Girl."

Hermione had always wanted to be Head Girl more than anything.

"Your Head Boy is Blaise Zabini and the Head Girl is Hermione Granger." Hermione let out a huge sigh of relief as the students clapped in support of the decision.

Hermione got along well enough with Blaise. He was one of the few Slytherins who had never called her a Mudblood. He was also smart, and Hermione supposed his intelligence rivaled hers. McGonagall continued on with her welcome speech and announcements.

"Surely you have all noticed the empty seat at the Head Table," McGonagall frowned as she gestured to the empty seat between Hagrid and Madame Hooch.

"We are currently searching for a Defense professor, but I am certain we will have one before classes start tomorrow morning. Let's begin Sorting, shall we?"

* * *

It was later in the afternoon when Hermione noticed all the gossiping. It was mostly amongst the female population, as per usual. Hermione decided it meant that the Defense position had been filled by a man.

The seventh years didn't have Defense until Tuesday, but they had it four days a week. Hermione sat in the Gryffindor Common Room, wondering who all the girls were gossiping about.

"Did you see his necklace?" Lavender gushed, fanning herself before laughing. Pavarati nodded, a dazed expression on her face.

"Ginny!" Lavender exclaimed, waving Ginny over to their discussion. Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Ginny had been seated in front of the fireplace. Ginny sighed before walking over in their direction.

"Who is their latest victim, I wonder?" Harry asked, a disgusted look on his face. Gossip was one of Harry's pet peeves, and he was easily annoyed by it. Hermione couldn't blame him. She hated gossip, too. Especially the kind delivered by the _Daily Prophet_.

"The Defense professor," Hermione whispered, trying to focus on her Muggle Studies assignment.

"Why are you doing homework, love? Classes just started." Ron asked, finally moving his chess piece. Harry and Ron were engrossed in a game of Wizarding Chess, as per usual.

Hermione looked up as Ginny sat beside her with a noise of exasperation.

"So... who're they after now?" Hermione asked, smiling at Ginny. Ginny rolled her eyes before responding. Lavender, Hannah, and Pavarati were after someone new each week.

"Charlie."

Ginny's answer shocked Hermione and she dropped her quill onto her inkpot, knocking the pot over. The ink spilled on her assignment, successfully ruining it. Ron shot Hermione a funny look before he reached over and righted her inkpot.

"What did you say?" Hermione exclaimed, staring at her friend in disbelief. This couldn't be happening. She couldn't live in the same castle as Charlie Weasley. The castle was entirely too small for the both of them. Their chemistry would set it on fire and give their secret away.

"I guess he took the job, like mum wanted. I wish he would've warned us, though. I wouldn't have gone over there if I knew they were discussing one of my brothers," Ginny said, shuddering in disgust.

Hermione knew everything was going to blow up in her face with Charlie in the castle. She began to prepare herself for disaster.

* * *

At breakfast, Lavender Brown sat her annoying self down beside Hermione.

"Ron, do _you_ have muscles like Charlie?" Lavender's question made Hermione spit food across the table at Harry. Mortified, Hermione quickly used a cleaning spell, apologizing to her best friend. He laughed as if it didn't bother him. But if anyone deserved to be spit on, it was Lavender.

Ron sent Hermione a glare before answering Lavender's question. She guessed he assumed she'd been shocked that Lavender thought Ron had muscles to begin with.

"No, Lavender. Weasley's aren't made from a cookie cutter." Hermione thought some of them were, actually. Their physical appearance was mostly the same. All the boys, except for Ron, were actually quite muscular.

Hermione glanced up at Charlie, where he was enjoying his first breakfast at the Head Table. He was animatedly talking with Hooch, who had her hand on his arm. It was obvious the old professor was flirting.

Charlie met Hermione's gaze and winked at her. Hermione quickly looked away, ashamed he'd caught her. But she figured there had been a telltale burning sensation on his arm.

McGonagall got everyone's attention, standing to make an announcement.

"Students, I have finally acquired a Defense professor for you. His name is Charlie Weasley. You probably recognize his bright red hair," the Headmistress paused, "He was a talented Dragon Keeper in Romania, who came with high recommendations from his employers. If Mr. Weasley can handle dragons, he can certainly handle Hogwarts." With that, Headmistress returned to her seat.

Lavender, Pavarati and Hannah were still gossiping about Charlie's handsome features.

"What I would do to get him in bed..." Lavender's whisper was practically heard throughout the entire hall.

Hermione really hoped she wasn't blushing.


	2. Professor

Hermione had never been so nervous to attend a class before. She was usually completely comfortable in the classroom. She mentally kicked herself because she knew Charlie Weasley was the only reason for her discomfort.

When the Golden Trio got to the Dungeon Charlie wasn't there. They took their usual table, one soundly in the middle of the room. Hermione wasn't sure if she would have been able to control herself if they sat closer Charlie's desk. However, Lavender, Hannah, and Parvati currently claimed the first table. Usually the three girls sat closer to the back. They were already gossiping about the new "hot" professor.

Hermione noticed that even the Slytherins were talking about the new professor. She could tell they were cautious because Charlie was a Weasley, thus linked with their enemies of Gryffindor.

Hermione opened her textbook and started reading. She was already a chapter ahead, which meant that she was actually on chapter two because she had read all of her first chapters before arriving at Hogwarts. Even though she wasn't paying attention, she noticed when Charlie entered the room. The whole energy of the room changed into something more alive. Hermione even felt more alive, much to her annoyance.

When she dared herself to look up, Charlie was casually leaning against his desk. His arms were crossed, which his muscles flex attractively. At least she had drunkenly picked a desirable man to have sex with, Hermione thought. Even though she couldn't remember a thing about the sex. She couldn't even remember if she'd had an orgasm. But looking at Charlie she bet she'd had a few of them.

"Most of you probably know who I am already. I'm Charlie Weasley, your new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. You can call me Charlie, if you'd like. Being called Professor kind of weirds me out. Where did you leave off last year?" Charlie's voice was calm yet confident and he made eye contact with students as he spoke. He was clearly comfortable in front of a group of students, much to Hermione's surprise.

Hermione was used to hearing her Defense professors ask that question, so she had fully prepared an extremely helpful and detailed answer. Hermione's hand instantly shot into the air. She saw Charlie's eyes skip over her hand more than once. She wiggled her fingers to get his attention.

"Does someone _besides_ Miss Granger know the answer?" Charlie said, an annoyed tone to his voice. Several of the Slytherins chuckled at Charlie's question.

Hermione's eyes widened in complete surprise as she looked at Charlie. That sounded like something Professor Snape would say! Hermione frowned when she saw Lavender's hand go up reluctantly.

"We left off on wandless magic, _sir_." Hermione could picture the flirtatious smile on Lavender's face. The girl's voice held a seductive tone. Hermione rolled her eyes and wondered when Lavender's crush would end.

Charlie eyes met Hermione's, clearly asking her to confirm Lavender's answer. Hermione gave a short nod, glaring at him as she did so. If he was going to ask her anyway why didn't he just call on her?

"Let's get something straight," Charlie stated with a forceful tone to his voice. He moved from the desk and walked the width of the room as he spoke.

"I bet you are," Lavender mock whispered, her voice carrying throughout the entire room. Charlie smiled at her before continuing.

"Miss Granger will not be answering all of the questions I ask. Hermione is allowed to answer _one_ question a day. One. If she answers more, I'll deduct house points from both houses. We will sit here until someone else answers the question, even if it's a wrong answer. Don't let Hermione control the show," Charlie's speech threw Hermione off guard.

He was _forbidding_ her from answering questions? Hermione noticed a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. She'd seen the same twinkle in Arthur and the twin's eyes. Hermione raised her hand and wiggled her fingers just to annoy Charlie. She wouldn't be taken down easily.

"Yes, Miss Granger. How can I help you?" Charlie asked, with an extremely sarcastic tone and his eyes rolled.

"This is absolutely ridiculous," Hermione said, not even bothering to tame her temper.

"Why?" Charlie asked, raising an eyebrow at her. He was practically daring her to cause a scene.

"You're prohibiting learning! And embarrassing students, and making the classroom environment extremely uncomfortable." Her question limit wasn't the only reason why Hermione was nervous.

"Does that count as her daily answer?" Ron called out, and Charlie laughed in response. Hermione glared at her boyfriend and he shut up, shrugging as he looked at her. She'd talk to him about that later.

"Nah, we'll let her defend herself. You don't learn by answering questions, Miss Granger. You learn by asking them. Did you feel more comfortable with Snape as your professor? I can start practicing some of his favorite teaching techniques if you'd like."

Several Slytherins chuckled in appreciation and Gryffindors groaned.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at Charlie. She was very tempted to get up and walk out of the Dungeon.

So that's what Hermione did.

* * *

Hermione was extremely annoyed when someone interrupted her Ancient Ruins lecture. That someone happened to be Dobby the House Elf.

Dobby apologized profusely to the distraught, elderly professor before walking straight to Hermione. Hermione stared at Dobby in confusion.

Dobby wordlessly handed her a letter before scurrying off to a safer corner of the castle. Hermione frowned as she read the letter. Headmistress McGonagall requested to see her _immediately_. She gathered her books and showed the letter to her professor on the way out. For the second time that day, Hermione left class before it had officially been dismissed.

On the way to the Headmistresses' office Hermione fumed. Charlie had tattled on her like they were five year olds. It actually kind of surprised her, knowing that the Weasleys didn't like to tattle on each other when one of them was in trouble.

Hermione muttered the password of the month and the phoenix turned to let Hermione up the staircase. McGonagall had continued Dumbledore's tradition of using candies and sweets as passwords.

"I never thought I'd see my Head Girl for a disciplinary meeting, Hermione." McGonagall stated as she gave Hermione a sharp, disappointed look.

Charlie Weasley was also there, slumped in the chair on Hermione's right. Charlie was wearing simple Muggle clothing. Professors usually wore robes like the students. Hermione took the empty chair and mentally prepared for the battle before her.

"Which one of you wants to explain why you're here?" McGonagall asked, raising an eyebrow in question.

Of course Hermione was the first to answer the Headmistress.

"Headmistress, I was wrongly forbidden from ever answering questions during Professor Weasley's lecture." She glared at Charlie, who had snorted when Hermione called him Professor Weasley. He held her gaze as he retaliated.

"I said she could answer one question a lecture, Minerva! I don't want her dominating my classroom. Let some other kid participate for once," Charlie roared, glaring daggers at Hermione. Hermione was almost surprised by the volume of his voice. But he was a Weasley with a temper.

McGonagall was silent; the old witch apparently didn't know what to say. She looked at the portrait of Dumbledore before addressing them.

"Hermione, dear, I can see why you're upset. But Charlie has a point," McGonagall stated, her voice firm as she frowned at Hermione. Hermione shook her head in disagreement and glared at Charlie. This was all _his_ fault.

"You have also shown great disrespect towards Charlie," McGonagall added, as if that was another issue of importance. "It is important for him to establish respect amongst his students the very first day. You've shown other students that it's easy to mistreat him."

Charlie looked at Hermione with a raised eyebrow, clearly expecting her to say something.

"I'm sorry I reacted with anger rather than reason, Headmistress. But I should be allowed to answer just as many questions as everyone else." She wasn't about to back down on her right to participate in class.

"You answer more questions in one class period than another student will answer in an entire year," Charlie growled, his eyes pinning her to the chair. At least it was a comfortable one. McGonagall made a noise of disapproval and she shot Charlie a look that clearly told him to shut up. Hermione would have to practice that look; it seemed to put Charlie in his place.

"But other students don't answer questions, Charlie! They don't care about their education and half the time they're still asleep."

Charlie opened his mouth to counter Hermione's argument but McGonagall cut him off.

"Hermione, I'm your professor, too. You do have a tendency to dominate discussions without letting other students get a word in otherwise. Learning to curb this impulse will be of great benefit to you later in life," McGonagall stated wisely, smiling at her. Hermione knew she was the old witch's favorite student. So why was she on Charlie's side now? Hermione chose to remain silent.

"You will adhere to _Professor_ Weasley's decision. You will also need to work out some kind of punishment with him. I've got to run to a Transfiguration lesson," McGonagall stated, standing up. Charlie and Hermione also stood, following McGonagall to the doorway.

* * *

Once in the hallway Charlie and Hermione stood face to face. They stood so close that Hermione's breasts nearly touched Charlie's chest. Neither was willing to be the first to leave and have it look like they were bothered by the Headmistress's decision.

"So, witch, what do you think your punishment should be?" Charlie asked, raising an eyebrow. His blue eyes were angry and his entire body was tense.

Hermione blushed as she imagined a very naughty situation. Charlie grinned at her and she wondered if he could read her mind. Hermione shoved him away in annoyance before walking to her next lecture. She could hear him laughing as she walked down the corridor.

* * *

At dinner Ron had all sorts of questions about what went down in Defense. Was she allowed to answer more than one question? Hermione sent daggers to the man who made her question her instincts and behavior. Charlie Weasley noticed her gaze and winked at her across the entire Great Hall. Unfortunately, Lavender Brown noticed. And the entire castle heard her excitement.

"Professor Weasley just _winked_ at me!" Lavender squealed, clapping her hands in excitement. Both Ginny and Ron groaned in response, glaring at Charlie.

"Mione, did you get in any trouble?" Harry asked, looking at her with his beautiful green eyes. Hermione loved Harry's eyes and was a little bit jealous that hers were a boring brown.

"McGonagall called me into her office and Charlie was there. She agreed with him and I've got to talk to him about some sort of punishment."

"That's stupid. Charlie was just doing it to get a rise out of you," Ginny stated, smiling at Hermione. Hermione silently agreed with Ginny. The man knew how to push her buttons and certainly enjoyed doing so.

"I don't think so, Ginny. I think he's got a point." Ron said, earning himself a glare from his sister and best friends. He was digging the hole he'd created in Defense deeper and deeper.

"You know I love you, Mione." Ron assured Hermione, kissing her. Hermione decided to let her annoyance go. She didn't want to fight with Ron right now.

After dinner, Harry and Hermione went to the library as they usually did. Ron never came with them, and Hermione sometimes wondered what he was up to without them.

"Mione, are you ever going to tell Ron?" Harry asked, looking at her with a sad expression in his eyes. She shook her head immediately.

"No! That would devastate him. The rest of the castle and the entire Wizarding world would find out!" Hermione added, absolutely appalled by Harry's suggestion. Harry shrugged as if he didn't care either way.

"Imagine Lavender's reaction though," Harry said, trying to hold back his laughter.

Harry and Hermione smiled at each other before starting their small pile of homework.

* * *

The next morning, Hermione frowned when several owls flew to a stop in front of her.

"You're popular today, Mione." Ginny said with a smile on her face. Hermione shrugged, removing the letters from the owls.

Hermione's brain was already over-thinking the scenario. Who was sending Hermione all of these letters? She'd never received so much mail in one day. She unrolled her copy of the _Daily Prophet_, wondering what kind of lies the newspaper was selling today.

The front page jumped out at her, practically calling her name. Well, she was sure her name was on the front page somewhere. It always was.

_**MINISTRY REINSTATES OLD MARRIAGE LAW**_

_The Ministry, under the direction of Kinglsey Shaklebolt, has reinstated an ancient marriage law. The law was created in the 1700s to increase the Wizarding population. As a result of the war, Minister Shaklebolt has put the law in place once again. "The Wizarding population has been on a downward slide ever since Voldemort was known to exist. We are in danger of extinction if this trend continues," the Minister stated at a press conference earlier today._

_Muggleborns like Hermione Granger and Half–bloods like Harry Potter will be forced to marry Purebloods. When asked why blood played into the law, the Minister's answer was "It is a way of avoiding a population full of squibs."_

_It will be interesting to see whom the Boy Who Lived and his loyal friend, or girlfriend, will marry. The Ministry will pair couples that do not respond in a timely fashion using soul-mate detection spells. Each couple will then be given an engagement period in which the couple is expected to prepare a wedding and will be required to complete the process as outlined by the Ministry. Petitions for marriage will be sent to eligible witches and wizards on official Ministry paper. Detailed rules of the Marriage Law will be owled to you if you are required to marry. More on this to come._

Hermione put down the paper and took several deep breaths. This could not be happening! Hermione was only eighteen. She wasn't ready to be a wife and she certainly wasn't prepared to start a family. She hadn't even survived day one of defense with Professor Weasley.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" Harry asked, touching her hand to get her attention. Concern was in his deep voice. Ron, on the other hand, was stuffing food down his throat and he apparently hadn't noticed Hermione's reaction. Hermione wondered why Harry didn't have a stack of mail.

She didn't know why she was so upset about this. It was obvious Ron would propose to her and rescue her from the dangerous law. It was already in his plans, even if it wasn't in hers.


	3. A Cute, Little Reminder

Once again, Dobby delivered a note to Hermione. That was how Hermione found herself in the Headmistress' office for the second day in a row. Except this time it was for matters entirely out of Hermione's control.

The look on Minerva McGonagall's face was one of worry, sadness, and pity. Hermione supposed they were going to talk about the new marriage law.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione." Hermione shrugged, knowing the old witch couldn't do anything to change the law.

"I'll be okay," Hermione stated, smiling at her favorite professor. McGonagall smiled back, but there was a tinge of sadness to it. Hermione was determined to put on a brave face. She'd fought dark wizards, for goodness sake!

"Has Ron proposed?" McGonagall asked, a curious expression on her face. Hermione wanted to laugh. Ron still didn't know about the damn law. He'd lost concern for her feelings and life a long time ago.

"He doesn't know about the law. He's been wrapped up in his own world lately," Hermione explained, trying not to paint Ron as a bad boyfriend in front of the Headmistress. McGonagall rolled her eyes, apparently not surprised by the news.

"Kinglsey owled me a copy of the detailed rules and he highlighted ones of importance in regards to your status. He suggests we avoid ministry arrangements, out of fear you might be placed with a dark wizard. He also suggested we find a young wizard, one who would be capable of protecting you from anything."

"Does that place Ron out of the possible options?" Hermione asked, earning a laugh from McGonagall. Well, Hermione figured Ron had fought dark wizards right beside her. But he still had a tendency to be clueless.

"No, dear. He'll do just fine. "

Hermione assured the Headmistress she wasn't terribly afraid and that she was going to survive the situation. She wasn't a breakable witch like that stupid Lavender Brown.

* * *

Later that evening Hermione was slowly walking to the Room of Requirement. Harry had informed her that Ron was waiting for her, but Harry wouldn't tell her why.

She had a feeling she knew what Ron had planned. She'd been thinking it over as she'd walked through the castle, and she still hadn't reached an answer.

Hermione gasped when she accidentally walked into a wall of solid muscle. She looked up into Charlie Weasley's blue eyes. His hand reached out to steady her.

"What do you want?" Hermione immediately snapped, glaring at him. Mischief sparkled in his eyes.

"I was hoping to run into you before you met with Ron. I want to clear the air a bit. Don't let our... mistake change your relationship with Ron. Especially with this new law and everything." Charlie said as he shoved his hands in the pockets of his ragged jeans as he waited for some kind of reaction from her.

Hermione narrowed her eyes. How dare he? They'd agreed to forget about that and keep it a secret between the two of them. Or rather, Hermione had decided that would be their plan of action.

"Charlie Weasley, I don't even know what you're talking about." Now Charlie narrowed his eyes at her. Oh, so she hit a nerve? He always seemed to be pushing _her_ buttons, not the other way around.

Charlie opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by Ron. Sometime during their conversation they'd moved closer to each other. Her arms were crossed and brushing against his flat chest.

"What's going on?" Ron asked with his head popping out from behind the door, looking at them with a curious expression on his face.

"Nothing important. She's all yours," Charlie said, winking at his brother and walking away. Ron grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her into the Room of Requirement.

Hermione's mouth dropped open in shock at the sight in front of her.

The room was covered with red roses. There were two roses in a vase on a table which sat in the center of the room.

As she watched the candle on the table ignited. There was a delicious smelling dinner prepared for her, obviously by someone other than Ron. Ron only knew how to burn food.

Ron smiled at her and led her to the table. He pulled out her chair, and pushed it in after she sat down.

Hermione was fighting the urge to cry. Never would she have thought Ronald Weasley could be so romantic. The little blue box sitting above her plate caught her attention.

"Well, you might as well open it now." Ron said, sitting down in the chair across from her.

With a shaky hand, Hermione reached out and grasped the box. A tear slid down her cheek as she stared at the box.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione gathered enough courage to open the box. The most beautiful ring was inside. It was elegant, but not overly showy and dramatic.

"Hermione, I've always been in love with you. Ever since I first met you. I might have been a prat about the whole thing, but I've finally figured it out. I don't want you to think I'm just proposing due to that dumb law. It did push me to finally ask you, but the ring has been burning a hole in my pocket for a few weeks. I wanted to wait until the perfect moment, until I realized I was just waiting time."

Hermione couldn't help it; tears fell down her cheeks. She looked at Ron and saw only love in his gaze.

Hermione felt like a horrible person. She loved Ron, she truly did. But she wasn't ready to marry him. That was probably why this proposal hurt so much. She didn't want to jump to any conclusions though now that the Marriage Law was in place to ruin her future.

"I love you, Ron. I truly do. But I need some time to think about this before I say yes. I don't want to say yes, and then change my mind." Ron's smile melted as Hermione's words sunk in.

"'Mione, is there someone else?" Ron asked, his question almost a whisper.

So, Hermione did what most sane witches would have done in her situation. She lied.

* * *

That night, Hermione found comfort in bottles of Firewhiskey, all of which she'd confiscated from fellow students.

Hermione felt miserable with herself. She hated to admit what she truly felt, which didn't work in anybody's favor.

Hermione Granger had stopped loving Ronald Weasley months ago. She just didn't have the courage to break up with him. Hermione Granger, the young witch that had fought off evil wizards, was afraid to break up with someone.

Oh! Hermione had forgotten to do her rounds. Unsteady on her feet, Hermione left the Gryffindor section of the castle in search of hoodlums.

Hermione was actually hoping she wouldn't run into anyone. But she couldn't skip out on her job. Feeling woozy, Hermione leaned against the cold wall. These hallways were all empty. Anyone that was causing trouble knew how to hide themselves.

"Hermione," a familiar voice whispered and Hermione felt heat when a hand was placed on her shoulder.

Hermione opened her eyes and found Charlie Weasley standing next to her, looking concerned.

"Charlie," Hermione breathed, turning her face towards his. She noticed him wince in reaction.

"'Mione, who do I need to curse?" Hermione smiled at Charlie's question. He was willing to go after the person that had pushed her to getting drunk. He not only cared about how she felt but he noticed her mood changes, too.

"Ronniekins," Hermione growled, glaring at Charlie for his association with Ron.

Hermione felt herself sliding down the wall, unable to stand on her own feet. Her eyes closed in exhaustion.

* * *

The next morning, Hermione woke with a pounding headache. She was also in an unfamiliar room. Again. She was really hoping this wasn't going to turn into a habit.

She closed her eyes when the events of yesterday flooded her memory. Ronald Weasley had proposed to her and stupid Ministry of Magic was forcing her to get married. She was facing years of possible torture and misfortune all because she was a Muggle.

Taking deep breaths to calm her nerves, Hermione felt brave enough to look around the room.

She groaned when she noticed an elaborate painting of dragons on the wall. What was it about this man that lowered her inhibitions?

At least she was still wearing her clothes. That was a good sign and an improvement over their last sleepover debacle.

However, she did feel a strange prickling on her lower back, approximately where her tattoo happened to be. The kind of heat that she felt whenever Charlie was touching her, looking at her or even in the same room.

Starting to get a little overheated, Hermione threw off the covers that had clearly been made by Mrs. Weasley. The crimson comforter featured a huge, gold C.

Hermione stilled when she heard a shower turn off. She hadn't even noticed that someone had been showering in the connected bathroom.

Now was her chance to leave without awkward conversation! She grabbed her shoes, which were neatly placed beside the bed, and ran for the door.

"Hermione." The silky voice made her stop with her hand on the doorknob. So close. Hermione sighed and turned to face the man that had become the star of her thoughts lately.

Her eyes focused on the half-naked man who was standing his bed. Charlie Weasley was extremely muscular, more so than Ron and Harry. He had several scars running diagonally across his chest, scars that she hadn't noticed on their night together. Well, she might have noticed them then, but she'd most certainly forgotten about them.

"Where're you going?" Charlie asked with a smirk on his face. He knew exactly why she was in such a hurry to leave.

He turned and walked to his dresser, his back to Hermione. Her mouth dropped open when she noticed his tattoo.

Charlie Weasley, perhaps the most-manly man Hermione knew, had a tattoo of an otter's face on his shoulder blade. She'd managed to forget about that, too. He also had a splattering of other tattoos on chest and arms.

Charlie looked over his shoulder at her, probably wondering why she hadn't answered him.

"Do you know why I have an otter tattoo, Hermione?" Charlie asked, turning to face her. He kept his eyes on her as he pulled a blue dress shirt out of his dresser.

"It's my Patronus," Hermione answered, unable to meet his gaze. She noticed that his rooms were slightly cluttered and messy, but by no means a pigsty.

"A cute, feminine little reminder of our one night stand," Charlie muttered, focusing his attention on buttoning his shirt. Blue was a good color on him, Hermione decided. He rolled up his sleeves so they hit just below his elbows.

"You can always glamour it, you know. Nobody would see it."

"Thank you, Miss Granger. That hadn't occurred to me." Charlie answered, his tone as if she'd just answered a question in his lecture.

Speaking of... she was going to be very late to class. Defense was their first class of the day, though.

"I'm going to be late to class. I'll be there as soon as I can," Hermione explained quickly, before running out of the room without so much as a thank you or goodbye.

As she hurried back to her room, Hermione remembered waking up once in the middle of the night. Arms had been wrapped around her, her back pressed against a muscular chest. The heat had warmed her and for some reason, she remembered feeling safe. She'd assumed it was Ron, and went back to sleep.

She was only ten minutes late to Defense, since she'd run down the hallways.

Charlie didn't say anything as she found her way to her seat. Harry smiled at her, but Ron looked utterly confused. Hermione Granger was _never_ late to class!

"Yes, Pansy?" Charlie asked, leaning against his desk. His arms were crossed, and he didn't look too happy. He also looked rather impatient.

"Aren't you going to take away house points for Granger being late? She didn't even give you an explanation or apology." Pansy Parkinson's voice carried across the room, making Hermione cringe. She hated Pansy's voice. It was almost like fingernails on a chalkboard.

"This is her first time being late, Ms. Parkinson. You, on the other hand, have been late to lecture every single day." Charlie responded, raising an eyebrow as he looked at the Slytherin.

"Open your books to page 356, and we'll start discussing underwater battles." Charlie went on with lecture, as if Hermione hadn't even been late.

* * *

Later that evening Hermione and Ron found themselves in the Headmistress' chambers. She had accepted Ron's proposal, knowing she might not be happy with Ron forever. The Headmistress had put emphasis on being aware of Hermione's steps towards completing this process.

But Hermione was running out of time and she wasn't about to break the poor kid's heart. She wasn't a heartbreaker like that dumb Lavender Brown.

Kingsley Shaklebolt was here, too. He had previously searched through Hermione and Ron's records, making sure they were legally allowed to marry each other. He'd be telling them the results of their research at the meeting. He would also sign off on their marriage paperwork, making their union almost official.

All they needed to do after that was have an official ceremony, and they'd be Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Weasley. Her mother would kill her if she kept her maiden name, but Hermione supposed the Ronald attached to the Weasley was the only part of the name that bothered her.

"I have some bad news..." Kingsley stated, frowning and looking at his paperwork. Hermione narrowed her eyes, wondering what the Ministry was going to throw at her now.

"Well, get on with it!" Hermione demanded, nearly jumping out of the chair she was seated in. She forgot she was talking to the Minister. She instantly corrected her posture and smiled at him, but the Minister didn't seem bothered by her rude outburst.

"You're already bound to another wizard," Kingsley said calmly and looking in her eyes as he delivered the bad news.

Hermione jumped from her seat, outraged.

"What? Has the Ministry promised me to another wizard without my knowledge? I'm still within the grace period." They had generously given her a week to find her own husband so to avoid the proposals that would come from available wizards.

"No, Ms. Granger. This occurred without Ministry interference and even prior to our reinstating the Marriage Law. It was your own choice to bind yourself to this man."

Hermione had no clue what Kingsley was talking about. She made the mistake of looking at Ron. His face had turned white and he was gripping the armrests of his chair. Rage burned in his eyes as he stared at her.

"Surely there's been a mistake! Hermione and I have been dating for over a year now," Ron growled as he glared at everyone in the room.

"Is this wizard at Hogwarts, Kingsley?" McGonagall asked, worry in her voice. She was also keeping an eye Ron at the same time.

Kingsley examined his paperwork, apparently searching for the wizard's name. He nodded at McGonagall before looking at Hermione, who was still extremely confused.

"Let's get the boy in here, then. What is his name?" McGonagall asked, rising from her chair and calling for an Elf.

"Er, the young man's name is Charlie Weasley."

* * *

Hermione was still seated in McGonagall's office, her legs crossed. Her foot was restlessly tapping on the ground. They were waiting for Charlie, who seemed to be taking his blasted sweet time getting to McGonagall's office. Surely he knew the way between his pranks at Hogwarts and their own meeting yesterday.

Dobby had taken Ron to the infirmary, as Ron had passed out from Kingsley's news. Hermione had tried to go with him and escape the potential awkwardness, but McGonagall nixed that idea immediately.

Hermione was bound to Charlie Weasley. Wizards had weird laws and practices. Hermione, for once in her life, had no clue how to get herself out of this mess. She also didn't have much of a clue as to how she'd gotten herself in this mess in the first place.

"You needed my handsome self in your office, Headmistress?" Charlie asked, walking into McGonagall's office. Hermione rolled her eyes as McGonagall nodded before gesturing to the open seat beside Hermione. Kingsley was standing behind McGonagall's desk, going over that annoying stack of paperwork.

"Charlie, what do you know about Wizarding tattoos?" Kingsley asked, glancing at Hermione. Her hand shot up in the air and she was sure he'd expected that from the smile he gave her. Charlie, however, glared at her and rolled his eyes.

"They're completely permanent, unlike Muggle tattoos. They can't be removed by the Muggle process," Charlie responded cautiously. Kingsley glanced at Hermione's hand, which was still in the air, before speaking.

"When taken with a certain potion they become bonding tattoos. The potion bonds the woman to the man. They aren't necessarily marriage tattoos, but they are definitely permanent and have their own effects." Kingsley explained slowly, as if they were children struggling to keep up.

"So how does this keep me from marrying Ron? If I'm, as you put it, aren't necessarily marriage tattoos, I'm not officially bound to Charlie and I can still marry his brother." Hermione said, unsure about the whole thing. She was bound to Charlie, but she wasn't married to him. That was a different sort of problem.

"You don't want to marry Ron anyway," Charlie muttered quietly, but everyone in the room heard it. McGonagall scolded him as if he were a student.

"The tattoos were used in the old days and some families still believe in the magic tied to the ink. Usually the tattoos took on the form of a Patronous and were inked when a witch was promised to a wizard," Kingsley explained.

"So I'm engaged to Charlie, basically?" Hermione asked hopefully, raising an eyebrow. It was easy enough to break an engagement.

"Essentially, if we were just going by the spell and if the new law didn't exist. But In the original marriage law, the ministry honored binding behind the tattoos. Upon discussing your situation with other officials, we've decided that Mr. Weasley, uh, Charlie, would be a better suited as a protector and a husband."

"I have to marry my little brother's girlfriend?" Charlie asked, as if the idea was ridiculous. Hermione didn't know whether or not she should be offended.

"Yes, Mr. Weasley. I realize this is an awkward situation, as her professor." Kingsley stated, as if that were the only reason why it was awkward.

Hermione got up and walked out of the meeting, simultaneously defying the authority of the Minister of Magic and the Headmistress of Hogwarts.


	4. Complete Access

Struggling to contain her tears, Hermione went to find Harry. She needed someone to talk to her. Someone that wasn't going to be furious with her, and Harry was her best friend.

She found him in the Gryffindor common room, in the middle of a game of wizard's chess with Neville. Apparently nobody had told him that Ron was in the infirmary otherwise he'd be with Ron.

Lavender and her girls were gossiping in the corner, as usual. They quieted when Hermione got anywhere near them. They were staring at her as she approached Harry.

"Harry." Hermione interrupted, after they hadn't noticed her for a moment. Harry looked up at her, his green eyes already filled with worry.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" Harry whispered, standing. He moved away from the table and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. After several moments, Hermione led him to her room, ready to explain the whole thing.

* * *

When Hermione woke up the next morning, Harry was beside her. They weren't touching at all, but he was still there. It was a sign of unwavering support and friendship.

If either of them had truly heartbreaking or difficult news, Hermione and Harry tended to make sure the other made it through the night. Ginny knew about this small comfort, and she knew it was strictly platonic. They'd been accused of sleeping together once because Lavender had seen Harry leaving Hermione's room early one morning, but Ginny had said she completely trusted the both of them and hadn't believed it.

Hermione hadn't spoken to Ron yet. She hadn't even gone to check on him while he was at the infirmary. She knew Pomfrey had released him sometime last night as he wasn't suffering from serious injuries.

She groaned when she realized her first class of the day was with her 'husband'.

They weren't married yet. But the Ministry would make them wed.

* * *

Hermione couldn't keep her eyes of Charlie Weasley. She'd tried, several times, to tear her eyes away from him.

Ron was seated on the other side of Harry, which was unusual. Usually Hermione was between the two boys ready to stop bad behavior before it started.

In the middle of his lecture Charlie met her gaze. She could practically feel goose bumps forming in response. For no good reason, Hermione suddenly _wanted_ this man. She was so inexplicably attracted to him. She felt as though she were Lavender Brown, constantly swooning over every attractive male around her.

After class, Hermione hung around until everyone else was gone. Harry had reluctantly followed Ron after he'd stormed out of the classroom after making sure Hermione would be okay. She stayed behind because she figured it would be good to clear the air between them.

"Miss Granger." Charlie was leaning against his desk, arms crossed. He was wearing short sleeves, a regular Quidditch jersey, and the bottom the tattoo on his arm was visible. His appearance was the opposite of her typical Hogwarts Professor.

"Professor," Hermione cringed at the word, "I think—"

Charlie grabbed her arm, gently but forcefully pulling her towards him. Hermione's eyes widened in surprise as she found herself pressed up against him. The next thing she knew, his mouth was on hers.

His tongue fought with hers, and her hands were already under his shirt. His hands were on her lower back, where her tattoo was. Her tattoo was practically on fire at his touch.

Slowly, he broke their kiss. His eyes looked heavy, almost sleepy. His red hair was messy, as it usually was.

"I've been wanting to do that all morning," Charlie whispered, smiling at her. She smiled back at him before sprinting out of the dungeons.

* * *

"He did what?" Ginny asked, later when they were all gathered for dinner.

"He kissed me." Hermione responded, glancing up to where Charlie was seated. Madame Hooch was flirting with him again.

"And you _ran_?"

"Can we change the subject?" Harry asked, tilting his head towards Ron, who was seated next to him and across from the girls. Ginny and Hermione had meant to be whispering, but they must've gotten louder as the conversation went on.

Ron and Hermione had only exchanged civil conversation, as if they had both agreed upon it. Hermione had wanted to lower the level of gossiping that was directed at her.

"Sorry!" Hermione answered, feeling heat spread up her cheeks. Ginny, unlike Ron, had eagerly welcomed the story. Apparently Charlie had been known as something of a ladies man during his Hogwarts days and Ginny was curious to find out if the rumors had any merit. He was probably one in Romania, too, and they just didn't know it.

After dinner Hermione and Ron decided they should privately discuss their new relationship. They were in her room, seated side by side on the end of her bed.

"Do you _have_ to marry him, Mione?" Ron asked her, a disappointed expression on his face. Hermione just nodded in response. The Ministry had deemed it so.

"How do you have a tattoo I don't know about?" Ron asked, anger in his voice. Unable to meet his gaze, Hermione looked at the floor.

"I glamoured it every time we made love. I didn't want you asking questions."

"You mean you didn't want me to find out that you'd shagged my brother while we were still together," Ron sneered at her.

"I knew it was a mistake, Ron! I can't even remember _how_ it all happened!"

Her words seemed to have tugged on one of Ron's heartstrings. She watched his expression soften as he looked at her.

"Hermione, did he rape you?" Ron asked, his tone completely serious.

"No! Ron, I can't believe you'd assume your brother was capable of doing something so dishonorable." Hermione was surprised that had even crossed his mind, because it certainly hadn't entered her thoughts.

"You'd caught me kissing Lavender Brown." Ron admitted, almost so quiet Hermione didn't even hear him. She just stared at him waiting for him to continue.

"We were all celebrating Charlie's year with the Irish." Hermione had somehow managed to forget that Charlie had played Quidditch on the Irish team. That would also explain Hooch's fascination with him.

"And Lavender was dangerously drunk because George had just broken up with her." Yes, much to Hermione's disgust, George had really dated Lavender for several months.

"She said the only way she'd leave was if I kissed her. Looking back, that seems like a stupid thing to fall for. I kissed her right as you walked in. You went right up to the bar and ordered a really strong version of Firewhiskey." Hermione was surprised Ron had remembered so much about her foggy night with Charlie.

"I really hate that dumb Lavender Brown," Hermione muttered, "but how did I end up with Charlie?"

"Well, after a couple hours, Charlie told me he was going to take you home. I knew you wouldn't have let me take you, so I didn't volunteer. I don't know how you ended up in his bed... that'd be a question for Charlie." Ron summarized, looking at her with a calm expression on his face. She expected him to still be utterly furious with her. He had every reason to be.

She'd always assumed Charlie had been more sober than she had been, knowing that men didn't perform at their best while extremely intoxicated. But had he been drunk enough to ignore the permanent consequences of Wizarding tattoos? Especially one of such a feminine animal? He'd clearly thought he was sober enough to take her home safely.

"I'm sorry, Ron. I shouldn't have been so jealous... and I should've known you wouldn't have cheated on me," Hermione muttered, realizing all too painfully that she was the one who had been unfaithful. Ron had every right to be furious with her, but he was being supportive and calm.

"We all made a lot of mistakes that night, Hermione. Yours just had lifelong consequences."

"These damn tattoos keep causing trouble." Hermione added, thinking back to her sudden desires for Charlie.

"Can I see it?" Ron timidly asked. Hermione positioned herself so he could see her tattoo. Lifting up her shirt, she heard him gasp.

"That's bloody brilliant, Hermione." Ron exclaimed, and Hermione couldn't help but smile. She was startled by Ron's sudden movement away from her. Hermione also felt her tattoo tingling, a tame burning sensation.

"It's moving, Mione." Ron's exclamation startled Hermione. She didn't know her tattoo moved!

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, trying to crane her head so she could see it.

"The dragon's tail is flicking back and forth."

* * *

Where was the blasted wizard, for Merlin's sake? He wasn't in his dungeons. By some force, maybe female intuition, Hermione headed for the Quidditch Pitch. It occurred to her that he was probably still in the castle, but her mum always told her to follow her gut.

Hermione smiled when she saw lights coming from the Quidditch Pitch.

She quietly entered the Pitch just as the snitch fell in front of her face. Acting on instinct, Hermione reached out and grabbed it. The gold ball felt odd fluttering in her hand.

Hermione spotted her future husband fake dodging bludgers before throwing the quaffle into the hoop. She had never known his position as a player. It seemed to her like she was one of those players that could play any position they wanted.

"Charlie Weasley scores! Twenty points for Ireland!" Hermione screamed, cheering as if she were a fan watching a game in progress.

Hermione's eyes grew in surprise as she watched him nearly fall off his broom. His head whipped in her direction, but he smiled the instant he recognized her. He flew towards her, stopping right in front of her as he hovered in the air.

"Sorry I scared you," Hermione apologized, smiling at him. He shrugged, as if it wasn't a big deal.

"What's going through that pretty head of yours, Hermione?"

"I talked with your brother," Hermione said, before she realized it was a stupid thing to say.

"You talked to Percy? Did you tell him he's still a git?" Charlie asked, grinning at her. She'd walked right into that one.

"Ron's not completely furious with me, even though he has every right to be mad." Hermione continued, before finding her way to one of the bleachers.

Tension left Hermione's shoulders the second Charlie sat down next to her. Brooms made her nervous.

"Did you tell him _everything_?" Charlie's blue eyes seemed to be very bright against the night sky.

"He ended up telling me more than I told him," Hermione stated, and Charlie tilted his head in confusion.

"I don't really remember much of the night before I ended up in your bed," Hermione admitted, blushing. Thank goodness it was dark and he wouldn't have been able to tell.

"I don't remember enough to help you fill in the blanks," Charlie responded, frowning at her.

Hermione was having trouble keeping in what she'd really searched him out to tell him.

"My tattoo moves!" Hermione exclaimed, covering her mouth after. She hadn't meant to be that loud.

* * *

Hermione and Charlie had hightailed it to his dungeons, eager to research. He said he had some book that mentioned bonding tattoos. He also said he'd borrowed it from another professor after their meeting with the Minister.

Charlie had made her a delicious cup of tea as she read. He sat next to her, looking over an assignment from his first years. The whole scene seemed rather domestic to Hermione.

* * *

Hermione groaned, feeling a knot forming in her back. Her shoulders were killing her. She opened her eyes, and immediately recognized that she'd fallen asleep in a textbook again.

Realizing she'd probably be late to class, Hermione sat back in her chair and groaned. Looking around, she realized she'd woken up in Charlie's rooms. For the second night in a row. He was sleeping across from her, his face squished against a pile of papers.

Hermione jumped up in surprise when loud buzzing started going off. Hermione relaxed once she realized it was only a Muggle alarm clock. Charlie was a Weasley, after all. He was hard to wake up. Only the Weasley women got out of bed before they had to.

She watched as Charlie jerked awake, sitting up slowly. A smile grew on his face when he saw her. His eyes widened when he heard the noise of his alarm clock. It was the most annoying alarm clock Hermione had ever heard. He ran over to turn it off before coming to stand in font of her. Well, this was awkward.

"Shit! Class starts in two minutes," Charlie exclaimed, glancing at his alarm clock. He quickly ran over to his robes. Grimacing, he put on his professor robes.

"We have to dress like a grown up today, do we?" Hermione teased, and he glared at her in response.

"You, little girl, are going to be late, for the second day in a row. You're going to have explain why you're coming down from my rooms, so start thinking." Charlie grinned, realizing the situation Hermione was in.

Hermione had no way to get to her own room except through his classroom. Whoever had invented that setup was clearly a fool.

"I hate this blasted thing," Charlie muttered, straightening his robes. Charlie went to open his door, and he stood beside it, waiting for her. She just stood there, staring at him.

"How do I explain this situation?" Hermione hissed, walking up to him, poking his chest. Her breasts hit his chest. He raised one red eyebrow at her, looking down at her breasts. Hermione took a step away from him and he laughed at her movement.

"Tell them we were up all night shagging," Charlie winked at her, annoying her.

"Don't take all day, baby." Charlie whispered, tilting his head towards the door. Taking a deep breath, Hermione walked across the threshold.

The pre-lecture conversation and excitement silenced the second they saw Hermione. Charlie closed the door, bumping into Hermione's backside. He didn't step around her, though.

Hermione took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. She took the first step, opened her eyes, and went and found her seat. She accio'ed her schoolbag, which she'd prepared the night before.

Ron sat beside her, still as one of the gargoyles on the castle's exterior. Hermione looked at Harry, who was grinning at her.

Charlie went on as if she'd didn't just come out of his rooms.

"At least all the buttons are still on your shirt, 'Mione," Harry whispered, struggling to contain his giggles. Hermione rolled her eyes, concentrating on taking notes.

"Is he as good as I was, 'Mione?" Ron asked, surprising Hermione. She'd nearly knocked over her jar of ink. After reading Charlie's notes on the board, Hermione's hand flew in the air.

"Yes, Hermione?" Charlie asked, not even turning around. Hermione narrowed her eyes, slightly annoyed. How had he known she'd had a question?

"Could polyjuice be used in that situation, Professor?" Hermione grimaced, hating calling him her professor. He was a Weasley. He was practically her family. He was going to be her husband. Hermione paled at the last thought.

"Depending on your access to the wizard, yes." Charlie answered after a moment's pause.

Someone on the Slytherin side of the room snickered.

"Would the Slytherin like to share his brilliant joke?" Charlie asked, walking over to the Slytherins.

"Granger had complete access to you last night, Professor!" Hermione wasn't able to place the voice with the person. The rest of the room broke out in laughter.

"I think we'll be done for today. You lot haven't been paying attention." Charlie announced, crossing his arms in annoyance.

Had he honestly expected the class to pay attention after her entrance?

* * *

Hermione decided to get back at Charlie for her embarrassing entrance into her Defense lecture.

During dinner in the Great Hall, Hermione sauntered up to Charlie. The professors at the High Table watched her walk down the aisle towards them. She made sure her hips swayed.

Charlie was engrossed in conversation with Madame Hooch. They were discussing the missing Snitch. Apparently he had never found his way back into the storage box. Hermione smiled, knowing the Snitch was sitting on her nightstand.

"Miss Granger!" Hooch exclaimed, finally noticing Hermione's presence.

"Excuse me, Madame Hooch. I just have a message for Charlie."

Hermione handed the piece of paper, and left before he had time to read it.

The note read as follows:

_We're having dinner at my parents on Saturday. We'll be spending the day with them. _

Hermione could hear him groaning in annoyance as she walked away. No wizard wanted to meet a witch's parents.


	5. The Incident

Hermione had gotten into a somewhat nasty habit of starting off her days by reading the engagement section of _the Prophet, _focusing on people she knew who were getting married. The section managed to take up an entire page (or more) a day. Complete with pictures of the happy couple.

Hermione groaned when she reached the W section. Thankfully, Ginny had barely escaped the law by being several months under the age requirement. Fred was engaged to his long-time girlfriend Angelina Johnson. Hermione wondered if the law had pressured him, or if he'd proposed to her out of pure love and desire.

Soon the Weasleys would be announcing another wedding. They were an unexpected couple that would cause drama and gossip.

"Mione, can I talk to you?" Ginny whispered, leaning closer to her. Few students were in the Great Hall this early in the morning. Even the boys were still sleeping, but that wasn't unusual or surprising.

"Of course, Gin." Hermione smiled, setting down the newspaper.

"I missed my period," Ginny muttered so quietly Hermione almost didn't hear her. Hermione's eyes widened, and she scooted closer to Ginny on the bench.

"Did you see Pomfrey?" Hermione asked, figuring her friend hadn't yet. Ginny confirmed Hermione's suspicions.

"I don't want those kind of rumors floating around the castle. I'm not even sure I'm pregnant... I Just have this feeling. Harry _hates_ being the center of attention," Ginny said, and Hermione silently agreed.

Hermione started thinking about her own period... which she hadn't had in a while. Hermione's hands were suddenly sweaty, and she closed her eyes trying to remember when she'd had her last period.

It had been far too long since Hermione had had her period. And she hadn't even realized it.

"Hermione? What's wrong?" Ginny asked, noticing her friend's discomfort. Hermione swallowed down her fear before she answered.

"I can't remember the last time I had my period, either." Hermione whispered, sending a worried look in Ginny's direction.

Ginny's eyes widened in surprise, but she smartly chose to remain silent. Hermione closed her eyes tightly, trying to collect herself before she puked all over breakfast.

Hermione heard Harry yell in surprise as she pulled him into an empty classroom. She'd been watching him make his way down the hallway, waiting for him. It was a miracle Ron hadn't been with him.

"Hermione! What the hell?" Harry rarely used the expression, and when he did, he was shocked and upset.

"I really need to talk to you."

"You're lucky I didn't hex you, 'Mione!" Harry, being a celebrity, was always on guard. So how had she managed to pull him into the classroom? It must be her lucky day. Or not, given the realization she'd just had at breakfast. She just stood there, silent, looking down at her shoes. She twisted her hands around nervously.

"All right, let's hear it, Hermione. What's going on?" Harry asked, his green eyes full of curiosity.

"I haven't had my period in forever, Harry." Hermione winced at her sentence. Harry loathed talking about 'girl problems'.

He just looked at her, apparently not fully grasping the situation.

"Good thing you and Ron are in lov—" He didn't finish his sentence, as he'd realized what he was saying. Harry had forgotten about Charlie and their one drunken night together.

"Shit, Hermione." Harry whispered, walking to the nearest desk and sitting on it. His hand went through his hair, only making it messier.

"If I am pregnant, I won't know with any certainty who the father is." Hermione stated, which is what she was really worried about. She knew the world of medicine and magic would help her through the actual pregnancy, and that her mother would help her when the baby was born.

Regardless, it was going to open up a terrible can of worms either way it went. With that realization, Hermione went to him, and he held her as she cried.

Neither of them had noticed that they were in the Defense classroom. They also hadn't noticed the Weasley standing on the stairs that lead to the Professor's rooms, listening to the conversation.

The rest of the day went by rather fast. She'd been caught in her own thought all day and hadn't had a chance to worry about what time it was.

Harry was obviously worried about her, and Ron didn't know what was going on, but she could tell he knew something was up.

After classes, Hermione and Ginny braved going to Madame Pomfrey. They'd told Harry that Ginny was going along for moral support, and Ron had no idea they'd be missing.

"And what can I do for you two?" The Healer asked, smiling at them. The infirmary was empty, save for one person who had a nasty case of the flu from the looks of it.

"We think we might be pregnant," Ginny bravely stated, grasping Hermione's hand. Hermione smiled at her friend, trying to act as though she was positive everything would be okay.

But she wasn't so sure.

The smile fell from Pomfrey's face, and worry worked its way onto the witch's features.

"Alright, let me find the proper potion and I'll be right back. Have a seat." Pomfrey said, gesturing to one of the gurneys.

After they were seated, the witch came back with the potions. She gave them instructions and explaining how potion would reveal an answer.

"Ready, 'Mione?" Ginny asked, glancing at her friend. Both Hermione and Ginny were visibly nervous.

Hermione managed to nod, and both girls downed the potion. They sat there, waiting for something to happen.

Madame Pomfrey seemed just as nervous, watching them closely.

"Remember that your stomach will turn pink, regardless of gender, if you are pregnant."

Ginny's stomach turned bubblegum pink. Hermione's turned red.

"What does that mean?" Hermione demanded, glaring at her stomach.

"It means the potion was faulty. In your case, Hermione, I recommend visiting your Muggle doctor. We can try the potion again in twenty four hours, though, if you'd like." After making sure they were all right, the witch retreated to her office. When they heard the door shut, Ginny started sobbing.

Hermione tried to comfort Ginny as she cried, even though she was lost in her own thoughts.

How would she get to see the doctor when she was home? Charlie would be with her, and she wasn't even sure the baby was his. Although her instinct was strongly shouting at her that it was indeed Charlie Weasley's baby that was growing inside her.

Harry was waiting up for them when they came back from the infirmary. They'd spent most of their evening in there trying to come to terms with the fact that Harry and Ginny were going to be parents.

On the walk back, Ginny had decided she wasn't going to tell Harry yet. She would tell him after his big Quidditch game was over.

Ginny immediately went to Harry's welcoming arms, and he greeted her with a kiss. He whispered in her ear before giving Hermione his attention.

"Well, what's the verdict?" Harry asked, glancing around the common room to make sure nobody was hanging around.

"My potion was faulty. She suggested I check with my doctor at home," Hermione explained, shrugging as if it was no big deal.

After conversation, Hermione retreated to her room.

Hermione woke up in the middle of the night after having a difficult time falling asleep. She felt something move beside her, and Hermione screamed in response. She instantly regretted her habit of silencing her room; now knowing nobody would ever hear her scream.

Hermione grabbed her wand, muttered a spell, and the lights came on. She pushed the tip of her wand into the wizard's chest, right above where his heart would be.

She relaxed a little when she realized it was Charlie Weasley in bed with her, not some dark wizard out to kill her. The fear had been so distracting that she hadn't noticed the tingling on her back.

What was he doing in her room?

"Charlie," Hermione yelled as she noticed he was sleeping, and from the looks of it, he'd been there for a while without her noticing.

She'd successfully startled him from his sleep, and he sat up and stared at her. Hermione's eyes were drawn to his bare chest as he rubbed one of his many scars. She could see why Mrs. Weasley had wanted Charlie out of the danger that came with dragon keeping.

"What're you doing?" Hermione asked, glaring at him. He smiled at her in response.

"Well, I _was_ sleeping... until some witch screamed my name. It really shouldn't have startled me. Witches screaming my name happens all the time in bed."

After looking her over for injuries, Charlie laid back against the bed, turning on his side so his back was to her.

"Charlie Arthur Weasley, I'm not going to ask you again." She wasn't actually sure that was his middle name, but she seemed like it was a good guess.

He didn't respond and acted as if she hadn't addressed him.

Hermione pushed his back onto the bed so he was staring at the ceiling. Without fully thinking it through, Hermione straddled him in a maneuver to get his attention on her. Her tattoo sizzled in response.

His eyes widened in response, his hands moving to grip her hips. Well, his attention was on her but not in the manner Hermione had intended.

She groaned and pointed her wand at him again, glaring at him. If he was going to play difficult, she could, too.

"Answer me, Charlie."

"Black." Charlie answered, and she groaned in response. That wasn't the answer she wanted. She hated it when the Weasley men were difficult. Judging by her experiences, Charlie was just talented with it as Ron was.

"What?" Hermione asked, narrowing her eyes. She pushed the wand harder into his chest. He glanced down at it before looking back up at her.

"My middle name is Black, not Arthur. And are you going to actually do anything with that wand, other than leave a bruise on my chest?" Charlie's words made sense to Hermione, for Mrs. Weasley was related to the Black family tree. She was somewhat surprised Molly admitted it in such a way, though.

"What're you doing here, Charlie? You can't just find your way to my bed and expect me to be okay with it," Hermione stated, acting as if she didn't care about his middle name.

"You're going to be my wife."

"Unfortunately." Hermione grimaced, thinking about her future. Distracted, she noticed the fire sensation in her tattoo was more intense.

Charlie grinned at her suddenly, gently thrusting his hips. Hermione closed her eyes, feeling his long erection.

"So you came here to fuck?" Hermione asked, shocked by her own language. But it wouldn't be making love, for they didn't love each other. It'd just be sex.

"No, ma'am. I came to talk to you about something I heard today," Charlie stated, raising an eyebrow at her. For whatever reason, she felt bad, having accused him of only wanting sex.

"Go on," Hermione stated, anxious to get this conversation over with. She wanted to go back to bed.

"Are you going to get off of me? Or are you going to take care of this?" Charlie asked, once again thrusting his hips.

"Charlie Weasley!" Hermione exclaimed, moving to get off of him. But his strong hands, gripping her hips, held her in place.

"Give me _something_, Hermione. My tattoo's been burning like crazy all day."

"Three thirty in the morning is not the time, Charlie. I have classes tomorrow and so do you. I haven't gotten much sleep tonight and I have an Arithmacy test tomorrow," Hermione complained, putting extra whine in her tone. She batted her eyelashes and smiled at him, hoping he'd give in to her and let her sleep. Charlie merely rolled his eyes in response.

"You were the one that started this, baby."

Hermione cringed at his pet name, but decided that was a battle for another day.

"Not intentionally," Hermione admitted, "We can talk tomorrow. But I'm willing to compromise. You can stay here, as long as you stay on _your_ side of the bed, Weasley. And if you don't, I'll tell Lavender Brown you think she's hot."

Inwardly, her brain was tearing apart what she'd just promised him. How were they going to get him out of here without any other Gryffindors noticing? Apparating wasn't allowed in the castle.

"Baby," Charlie whispered, "Kiss me." There was desperation in Charlie's voice. It sounded as if he'd die if she didn't kiss him. Her tattoo was practically on fire at this point. She briefly wondered what his felt like.

With her eyes locked on Charlie's, she leaned towards him. She noticed that his heartbeat raced as she got closer, and she loved it. She pressed her lips against his cheek, simultaneously caressing his other cheek. Before he could recover, she had worked her way out of his grasp and was snuggling back into her now cold blankets.

She couldn't help but grin at his groan of annoyance.

"And be out of here no later seven, Charlie, so you aren't seen."

Hermione was the only one in the bed when she woke up. She was disappointed, which surprised her. He'd even gone so far as to make his side of her bed. Hermione noticed he'd left a note on his pillow.

_We still need to talk._

That was all his note said. It avoided all pleasantries and it got right to the point. But he did draw an otter's face in the spot where his signature would normally go. She smiled and got ready for class, placing the note on her dresser with an attached mirror.

The trio got to Defense before Charlie, and they were only five minutes early. Ron had been extra stubborn about waking up this morning, according to Harry.

The dungeon door closed with a bang as Charlie entered the classroom from the corridors.

"Sorry I'm late, class. I was in a meeting with the Headmistress." Charlie admitted, his eyes meeting Hermione's. She figured that meant they'd been talking about her.

As he continued with their lesson, she noticed him glancing at her frequently. She smiled at him whenever their gazes locked.

She and Harry teamed up to practice a new spell and students were scattered around the room in pairs. Charlie made his way around the room, checking on his students progress with the new material.

When Charlie reached them, he lingered longer than necessary. As he walked behind her, Hermione felt Charlie's hand grab her ass. Hermione had been in the middle of throwing the hex, and his aggressive touch surprised her. The spell bounced off the cupboards behind Harry and slammed into Charlie.

Charlie stared at her for a second before he started convulsing. Hermione just stared at him, frozen, for once in her life not sure of what to do. Harry was shouting instructions at various students, and several flew out of the classroom, running for help. Harry had Charlie floating in the air, so he wouldn't get injured from things on the ground, like the corners of desks.

Her tattoo was burning. It was a new kind of burning, though. It wasn't pleasurable and she definitely felt pain. It was screaming at her that he was in danger.

Ron had his arm wrapped around her, telling her everything would be okay. She stood there, still frozen and unable to move. How had she defeated wizards if she was just standing by, idle, as her professor and future husband was under some kind of dangerous curse? That _she'd_ thrown at him! Mistakes like this happened to Neville, not Hermione Granger!

Pomfrey entered the room followed by the Potions professor and the Headmistress. The other students were banished from the classroom by McGonagall.

"Oh, my!" One of the older witches exclaimed, and Hermione wasn't sure which one.

Suddenly, Charlie stopped convulsing. Hermione looked at the group of teachers just in time to see Pomfrey put her wand away.

"Harry, let me down." Charlie commanded, a firm tone to his voice. Harry obeyed, and the man's feet were on the ground again.

Hermione walked towards Charlie and wrapped her arms around him. She hugged him as though she hadn't seen him in years. Silent tears were running down her face. Charlie whispered things in her ear, but she didn't hear any of them.

Unable to resist the sensation in her lower back, Hermione kissed Charlie with all the passion she had, as if she wouldn't get another chance to kiss him. Charlie's arms tightened around her, and he deepened the kiss.

Charlie had held lectures for the other years after being checked out and cleared by Pomfrey. The Trio continued to go to their classes. But, as Hermione went, she heard whispering about her and 'the incident'. The news had spread like wildfire through the entire castle.

At dinner, Lavender Brown was glaring at her. And if looks could kill, Lavender's would've killed Hermione.

"Lavender is glaring at you, Hermione. In case you haven't noticed," Ginny said, laughter in her voice. Lavender's petty behavior didn't normally bother Hermione.

"I can't believe I did that, Ginny." Harry and Ron hadn't heard Hermione's whisper because they were deep in Quidditch conversation.

"Did what now?" Ginny asked, turning her attention on Hermione.

"Hexed Charlie. Because I was surprised he touched me," Hermione whispered, glancing up at the head table. Charlie was talking with Hagrid, laughing at something the half-giant had said.

"You're practically engaged to him, 'Mione. You've kissed him," Ginny lowered her voice, "You've _shagged_ him, and I'm guessing more than once based on his reputation."

"But I don't remember that!" Hermione wished she did, though. It would answer some questions about their tattoos.

"He's never dared touch me in public, Ginny. We don't even talk in public!"

"Hermione, he's already forgiven you. He knows it was an accident." Ginny said, watching her brother where he sat next to Hooch.

"But I just _stood_ there! I didn't even try to help him." Hermione was still struggling to believe that she had just stood there, like an incompetent witch. _Harry_ had been the one to jump into action.

"You were shocked, Hermione. Let it go. You can show him you're sorry later tonight." Ginny suggested, grinning at her.

Hermione packed a small overnight bag to take with her to her parents tomorrow. She wanted to tell them about Charlie before the Wizarding world found out, and she also planned to stay overnight to get out of the castle. The Headmistress had approved, knowing Hermione needed time to fill her parents in on her new situation.

After she packed she slowly made her way to the dungeon. She still felt horrible about her reaction to his touch.

She walked into his classroom and stopped just inside the threshold. Charlie was seated at his desk, his long legs propped on his desk. An unbelievably large stack of papers sat beside his feet, a jar of red ink on top.

He held a bottle of FireWhiskey and an empty bottle sat next to the pile of papers. He grinned at her when he saw her. Her instincts told her she better run or she'd end up in his bed before she could avoid it.

"Hermione! To what do I owe this pleasure?" Charlie asked, the grin still on his face.

"I'm sorry, Charlie." Hermione said, worriedly. She was scared he was furious at her; his tone was unusual.

"It was my fault, Hermione. I shouldn't have grabbed you. At least not while you were practicing a curse," Charlie admitted, sadness in his eyes.

"I shouldn't have just stood there. I should've reacted."

"Hermione, sweetheart, please don't beat yourself up over this. I'm fine; you're fine. No harm done." Charlie put down his bottle of FireWhiskey.

Hermione took a deep breath and let it all out. Charlie wasn't mad at her and understood she didn't mean to hurt him.

"I'm not sure I'm fine, actually. My life is a mess. I'm kissing my professor, sharing a bed with him."

"I'm a Weasley, 'Mione. We weren't meant to have a normal student-teacher relationship." Charlie laughed at his own joke, his laughter dying when he noticed the tears on Hermione's face. She was crying an awful lot lately.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" Charlie asked, getting out of his chair and walking towards her. She took a deep breath and promised herself she wouldn't regret telling him. She instinctively knew he'd support her no matter what. He was a Weasley.

"I think I'm pregnant. I desperately want it to be your baby, Charlie, but I'm not sure that it is."

Charlie's eyes widened, but he stayed where he was. In her head, she pictured how different his reaction would have been if she had been positive it was his child.

"Did you go to Pomfrey?" She heard concern in his question and it was there in his blue eyes.

"I took a faulty potion, and I have an appointment with my doctor at home tomorrow."

"Can I come with you?"

"I was hoping you'd say that," Hermione said, with a smile on her face.


	6. Quidditch

Early on Saturday, Hermione and Charlie had met in the Dungeon. They hadn't spent the night together, but they needed his fireplace to Floo out of the castle. Hermione had a permanent port set directly to her parent's neighborhood, and she frequently used McGonagall's fireplace to travel home.

Charlie had protested to the timing of their trip. He was going to be missing not one, but _two_ Quidditch games that he had wanted to see.

In the evening, the Irish were playing Germany, two teams that had begged Charlie to play for them. But during the day, Gryffindor was playing Ravenclaw. Harry didn't understand why the two houses were tied for first place, but that's how it was.

Ron and Harry were disappointed that Hermione wasn't going to be watching. Ginny was, too, but she knew Hermione had important business to take care of this weekend. She understood the importance, Hermione supposed.

Hermione had silenced Charlie's protests by mysteriously saying she'd make it up to him later.

* * *

They were in the waiting room, well, waiting. Charlie had a few papers with him, and he was muttering under his breath as he was scribbling in the margins.

Hermione had filled out her information sheet, and she hadn't even realized she'd put down Hermione Weasley until the clerk said, "Thank you, Mrs. Wealsey" after accepting the papers.

Several other women, but fewer men, were also waiting. The single women were giving Charlie the classic once over, and it was bothering Hermione.

Hermione was reading a book on how to increase her reaction time. Every once in a while, Charlie would curse at his messy handwriting.

Suddenly, Charlie put his paper and pen (he'd thought a quill would be too obvious) down and grabbed her hand. Hermione nearly dropped her book.

He was looking into her eyes, a serious expression on his face.

"Hermione, marry me."

The gossiping that had been taking place in the waiting room silenced. Even the receptionist was focused on them.

"What?"

"You heard me. Stop playing dumb." Charlie smiled at her, raising her hand to his face and kissing it.

She could've sworn she heard women sighing.

"Charlie, we _are_ getting married." Charlie frowned at Hermione's words. She tried to figure out what this was all about, but she didn't have a legitimate hunch.

"We're being _forced_ to get married, Hermione. There's a difference."

"Not really," Hermione answered, shrugging her shoulders. In a month, they'd be married.

"Pretend like things were different, baby. No law," Charlie whispered, lowering his voice for the last part, not wanting people to overhear.

"Charlie..." Hermione trailed off, at a loss for words. He always seemed to be pushing the boundaries of their relationship.

"Would I even be here, Hermione? We wanted to act like that night never happened, and we were doing a pretty good job of keeping it that way."

Hermione remained silent, staring at the man next to her.

"Hermione Weasley," The receptionist called, frowning sympathetically at Charlie. Charlie's eyes flashed when he heard Hermione's last name.

Hermione stood, and turned to face Charlie.

"Go watch your teams play, Charlie." Hermione leaned forward, kissing his cheek.

* * *

The doctor had left Hermione in the examining room, having sensed that she needed a couple of moments to compose herself.

Hermione stared at the sonogram that she was clutching.

After leaving that doctor's office, Hermione Apparated to St. Mungos. She needed to know who the father was. She'd told her parents she'd be there by lunch time, and Hermione still had a couple hours to spare. The last available appointment had been an 8:45am one.

Hermione's status in the Wizarding world meant she didn't have to wait for an appointment at St. Mungos.

An hour later, Hermione held the answer in her hands. She knew who her baby's father was. After looking at the clock, Hermione decided she better Apparate back to her parents.

"Hermione, darling! Do come in," Jane Granger exclaimed, smiling at her daughter. Her arms wrapped around Hermione, pulling her inside the house.

"Hi, mum!" Hermione replied, so glad to be in her mother's arms. After her day, she'd wanted nothing more than to see her mum. And it wasn't even noon yet.

"'Mione, is that you?" Her father's voice rumbled through the house. Hermione walked into the den, where she knew her father would be seated in the recliner, watching some football game. His favorite team was Manchester United, but she knew he didn't care who was playing. He'd watch anyway.

"Hi, daddy." Hermione and her mother took up the nearby loveseat. Hermione's mum had her arm around Hermione's shoulders, and Hermione leaned into her mum.

"So, sweetheart, what's up?"

She gave him a blank look, not understanding, and her mother explained.

"Usually you just drop by, and you don't go so far as to make a scheduled arrangement with us. We just assumed something was wrong in that Wizarding world of yours."

"Well, actually... I do have a lot of news." Hermione's parents remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

"The minister enacted a Marriage Law, which applies to all Muggle-borns and half bloods. They don't want a magical population full of people who can't practice magic. People like that are called squibs, and the squib population has steadily increased since Harry defeated Voldemort." Hermione saw her dad's fists clench his armrests, and her mother tightened her grip on Hermione.

"So, being a Muggle-born, I've got to get hitched."

"To Ron," Dean Granger grumbled. Her dad was American born, but had moved to England to be with Hermione's mother. It was the most romantic love story, according to Hermione.

Hermione's dad _hated_ Ron. He thought he wasn't good enough for his daughter. He feared this day would come.

"Honey, at least you love Ron, and you're already in a relationship with him." Hermione's mother said, smiling at her.

"I'm not in-love with Ron anymore, Mum. And the ministry is forcing me to marry somebody else."

"Harry?" Her dad asked, hopeful. Hermione's parents loved Harry. They always asked Hermione to bring Harry home with her.

Frowning, Hermione shook her head. "Sorry, daddy."

After a full minute of silence, Hermione's dad spoke. "Well, don't let us live in suspense any longer, sweetheart."

"I'm supposed to marry Ron's older brother, Charlie." Her dad frowned; automatically assuming Charlie would be just like Ron.

"Tell us about him, darling. And at least he's not a stranger, if he's one of the Weasleys. They've always been so kind to you, dear."

"Charlie worked in Romania, and I never saw him whenever I'd be at the Burrow."

"Why was he in Romania?" Dean asked, curiosity in his voice, and there wasn't a disapproving tone to his voice.

"He was a dragon keeper." Hermione closed her eyes, knowing her father would love Charlie immediately.

"Well, he sounds like a good man, Hermione."

"Why didn't you bring him along, dear?" Jane asked, patting Hermione's arm, smiling at her.

* * *

Hermione didn't return to the castle until Monday. She wasn't looking forward to facing Charlie. Or Ginny, if she was going to be honest with herself.

She only had one class today, and she barely paid attention in it. Her mind was on Charlie.

Why had he proposed to her? They already knew they were getting married. His proposal made their sudden relationship seem real and meaningful.

"Mione, Charlie's a mess. Tabloids are going crazy-he was beyond drunk at the Irish Quidditch game on Saturday. McGonagall can't believe he'd act in such a way, being a professor and all." Ginny informed her during dinner.

"Charlie makes his own choices, Ginny." Hermione said, trying not to be rude. She hated that Ginny made connections between what happened on Saturday (Hermione hadn't told her, but Charlie must have), and Charlie's actions on Saturday night.

Hermione made talked Neville the rest of dinner, trying not to care about how she might have hurt Charlie.

Harry knocked on the door to her room, with a knock she recognized distinctly as his.

"Come in, Harry!" Hermione called, putting her books on her nightstand. She'd been seated on her bed, doing homework.

Harry came in and sat next to her, wrapping his arm around her.

"He proposed," Hermione blurted, hiding her face in Harry's shoulder. He was strong, and she knew he would protect her from anything that came her way.

"Sorry?" Harry asked, and Hermione repeated herself.

"I'm going to assume you're talking about Charlie, but why is that bad, Mione?"

Hermione couldn't immediately answer Harry's question.

"It makes everything real, Harry. If he asks me to marry him, it's like the ministry didn't force us together."

Harry nodded, accepting her explanation. "You and Charlie have an incredible chemistry, Hermione. I noticed it before you shagged him, but I didn't say anything out of respect for Ron. You aren't in love with Ron, Hermione. Haven't been for a while."

"So?" Hermione asked, not fully understanding where his thoughts were headed.

"You might have started a relationship with Charlie regardless of the law, Hermione. The law just pushed you to act quickly. How was home?"

"I only told my parents about the law. Not about the baby."

"So it's official? You're knocked up?" Harry asked, laughter in his voice.

"Yes, Harry. Thanks for making me feel like a slut."

* * *

Hermione walked to the Dungeon, dragging her feet. She'd seriously considered skipping class, until she figured that would create more drama than her actually attending. Hermione Jane Granger never missed a lecture.

Charlie was calling roll as she walked in. He glared at her, and then called her name, before going through the rest of the alphabet. She'd gotten there just in the knick of time.

Charlie hadn't shaved in a couple days, and the amount of hair on his face was unbelievable. He practically had a beard.

Charlie's voice was very monotone during his lecture, and his usual jokes and sarcastic comments were missing.

Dobby interrupted her Ancient Ruin's lecture, carrying a note for her from the Headmistress.

After her lecture, Hermione went to McGonagall's office. She tried to figure out why she'd been summoned. She hadn't done anything wrong. She'd been performing her Head Girl duties successfully.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Granger. Please take a seat," McGonagall said, gesturing to the comfy chairs in front of her desk.

Once seated, Hermione asked, "Sorry to be rude, Headmistress, but why am I here? I haven't done anything wrong."

The Headmistress smiled at her, waving off her apology. "You aren't in trouble, Hermione. I just wanted to enquire about your relationship with Charlie. After his weekend debacle, I wondered how you were doing. Even though it's really none of my business." McGonagall smiled at Hermione, holding out a tin of caramels.

"Charlie asked me to marry him," Hermione supplied, not quite sure where to start. She felt comfortable sharing this information with the Headmistress.

"How wonderful, Hermione! This Ministry law is just awful, and it's good to hear you and Charlie will be wed before you're forced."

"I refused," Hermione said, flinching at the words.

"That explains his behavior, then."

"Why is everyone blaming me for his actions?" Hermione exclaimed, frustrated. Harry, Ginny and _Ron _had all said something along the same lines, but neither had explained their reasoning. Hermione couldn't see it. She wasn't Charlie's keeper. He was a grown man that could certainly take care of himself.

"You broke his heart, Hermione. That man loves you. I can see it whenever he looks at you. Poppy and I were just talking about it the other day," the Headmistress said, smiling warmly at Hermione.

"That's ridiculous," Hermione huffed, crossing her arms.

* * *

After serious debate with her conscious, Hermione found herself walking towards the dungeons.

Charlie wasn't in his classroom, but she could hear sounds coming from upstairs. Hermione, against her better judgment, walked up the staircase.

She pressed her ear against the door, trying to hear what was going on inside. She jumped away from the door when she heard feminine laughter.

Hermione narrowed her eyes in suspicion and then she moved so she could hear. She straightened, backed away from the door, and took a deep breath. She pounded on the wooden door.

No answer. So she pounded again, harder this time. The door opened suddenly, surprising Hermione. She'd been ready to walk away and forget this ever happened.

A tall, skinny woman stood there, a hand placed on her hip as she leaned against the doorframe. She was dressed for a party, revealing lots of tan skin.

"Aren't you Hermione Granger?" The woman asked, slightly slurring her words. Hermione glared at the woman before responding.

"Where's Charlie?" Hermione pushed past the woman, walking into the room.

Charlie had been in the bathroom, and he came out as Hermione entered the room. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Hermione, his eyes growing huge in surprise.

Neither one of them said anything for several moments, both ignoring the woman by the door.

"I thought we were broken up, Hermione." Charlie said, looking at her with a guilty expression on his face.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "We _can't_ break up, Charlie. Even if we wanted to. Unless you want me to be thrown in Azkaban."

"So we're supposed to continue on as if you never rejected me?" Charlie asked, his voice rising with anger.

"Charlie, I panicked. I'm _eighteen_! I can only take so much." Hermione said, refusing to look at Charlie. She'd never planned on admitting that to anyone.

The anger in Charlie's eyes softened.

"Excuse me, but I'm just gonna Floo home. Nice seeing you again, Charlie." The other woman interrupted, shouting her destination in the fireplace and disappearing.

"Who was that?" Hermione asked, hands on her hips. She hoped she looked a little like Molly Weasley.

"One of my old friends from Romania." The guilty expression returned to Charlie's handsome features.

"What'd she think of you otter tattoo?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow in question.

* * *

an: Don't kill me! I have a plan... I was gonna make the chapter longer, but I couldn't get the conversation right. How do you guys think the conversation should go? Both have some apologizing to do. As always, thanks for reviewing! :)


	7. CBW

Hermione had run from Charlie's room, fear causing her to move her feet. She didn't want to cry in front of Charlie, or any wizard, for that matter. Harry was the only wizard to ever see her cry.

What kind of man was Charlie if he ran to another woman every time their relationship stumbled?

Hermione ran down the corridor, not stopping once. Her name had been called only once, and she ignored it, pretending as if she hadn't heard.

She ended up in the Common Room, watching Harry and Ron play Wizards Chess. She was reading Hogwarts, A History. She always read it when she was upset and didn't want to do anything else. It calmed her, in a way.

Other students were playing Wizard's Chess, others were merely gossiping. It was a typical evening in the castle.

Hermione noticed the volume level in the Common Room decrease suddenly.

"Hermione, I need to talk to you." Charlie's voice came from behind her, startling her. She turned around, glaring at him.

"Sorry, I'm busy." Hermione lied, pretending to focus on her book.

"Don't lie to me, Hermione. We need to talk."

Harry gave Hermione a look that suggested she talk to Charlie, but Hermione wasn't ready to face Charlie again.

"I don't know what to say to you."

"Then just listen to me, damnit!" Charlie exclaimed, his voice rising once again. Hermione looked around the Common Room, and every pair of eyes was on them.

Hermione glared at him before closing her book. She pushed herself off of the couch, walking straight for her room. She turned when she reached the doorway.

"Well, don't just stand there!" Hermione explained, glaring at him still.

"Are you going to hex me again?" Charlie asked, a grin on his face. Hermione hated that she blushed in response.

"Charlie Weasley, get in here _now." _Seconds later, he was in her room with the door shut behind them.

Hermione sat on the foot of her bed, waiting for Charlie to say something. Anything.

"I brought these for you," Charlie sated, and a bouquet of red roses appeared in front of her. She accepted them from him, placing the vase on the table beside her bed.

"You better have something else up your sleeve, Charlie."

"We BROKE UP."

"We can NEVER break up, Charlie! The Ministry of Magic has bound us together for eternity, whether we like it or not." Hermione wondered how many times she'd have to tell the man the same thing.

"Not legally. Legally we're both just single." Charlie's blue eyes practically had fire in them. He'd crossed his arms, and his muscles were bursting out of his shirt. He was wearing an old Quidditch t-shirt, one with his name across his shoulders.

"We've been acting like a couple, Charlie. In private, at least. We've been sleeping in the same bed, kissing. Merlin, I'm pregnant with your child_._" Hermione's eyes grew in surprise at her confession. She hadn't meant to tell him, at least not until she was sure he was going to stick around for her.

Charlie froze, staring at her. She stood there, hands on her hips, glaring at the man in front of her.

"What?" Charlie whispered, running a hand through his hair. It was growing longer than it should be, and she knew Molly would've threatened to chop it off. It nearly reached his shoulders.

"The baby growing inside of me is yours, Charlie. Ours."

"But... you had so many other times with Ron..." Charlie muttered, looking at the floor.

Hermione nearly growled. "Are you accusing me of lying, Charlie Weasley?"

"No! You wouldn't lie to me about this... it's just a huge relief. I wanted this baby to be mine so badly, Hermione. Ron doesn't deserve it."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, "Neither do you."

He basically collapsed in front of her, sitting on the edge of her bed. He just stared at her.

"Hermione, I've loved you since your fifth year at Hogwarts. I couldn't touch you, though. You were Ron's. But this summer, I'd noticed you weren't in love with Ron. So I took a chance."

Now it was Hermione's turn to look utterly confused.

"What?"

"Ginny knew. She's the one that suggested I take you home the night of my Quidditch retirement party. Ask her if you don't believe me. But when you rejected my proposal it hurt, Hermione. Worse than any curse that's ever been thrown at me, or worse than any Quidditch injury I've dealt with. I couldn't deal with rejection, Hermione. I needed to feel wanted."

She didn't even know how to address Charlie's confession. And she was surprised Ginny had managed to keep that a secret from her for years.

"So, instead of fighting for what you want, you turned to several other women. Charlie, it's all over the Prophet. I hate the bloody Prophet, by the way." Hermione went to her desk, got her copy of the Prophet with his picture on the cover, and threw it to him. She heard the pages crinkle when he caught it.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. But—"

"If you say you thought we'd broken up, I'm going to hex you into next year." Hermione said, drawing her wand and pointing it at him.

"I didn't _sleep_ with any of them, Hermione. I'm willing to take Veritaserum if you don't believe me."

"The Ministry would never allow it. What did you do with them, then? Scare them off with your tattoo?" Hermione asked, trying not to grin at her remark. She was furious with him.

"Funny you should mention my otter. It'd painfully burn-to the point where I might have third degree burns on my back- whenever I got anywhere close to doing something more with them than just snogging," Charlie stated, staring at her.

"So, had it not been for potential burns, you would've slept with other girls while in a relationship with me?"

"Damnit, Hermione! We weren't in an official relationship! You don't have my ring on your finger, and I'm not your boyfriend. I don't belong to you, witch. Not yet, at least. Which is mostly _your_ doing. And I'm a dragon-keeper, Hermione. I've suffered from burns before."

Hermione closed her eyes, not wanting to admit that the man had a point.

"I can't be yours until I know you're going to stick around, Charlie. Because you want to, not because of the law."

"Hermione, I've just confessed that I've loved you for years. I'm not planning on going anywhere. Tell me how to make things up to you. I'll join SPEW, I'll give you feet massages every day, I'll check out your library books for you. I'll do anything, Hermione." Charlie was pleading with her, and he'd fallen to his knees, grabbing her hands as he begged.

Hermione didn't know what to do in this situation. She wanted Charlie to be hers, for her to love, but she hadn't admitted it to herself yet. Some stupid part of her still trusted him. She looked down into his big blue eyes, and took a deep breath. She hoped she was making the right decision.

"I'll give you a second chance, Charlie. For some reason, I'm attracted to you. Actually, it might just be the tattoos. I think the circumstances are different, now that you know I'm pregnant with your child."

Charlie rose to his feet and pulled her into his arms, and his mouth took hers. She knew she should pull away, but she'd missed the feeling of him kissing her. She loved the way his arms felt around her.

* * *

"Hermione, I've been meaning to ask. Why aren't you and Ronnie engaged?" Lavender asked Hermione, sliding next to her at breakfast the next day.

Hermione heard Ginny try not to laugh, and she glared at Lavender. It was no secret that Lavender had been after Ron when he'd been dating Hermione.

"We've broken up." Lavender gasped at Hermione's confession. But Ron and Hermione hadn't touched each other, or even sat next to each other, since the Ministry had told her she'd be bound to Charlie.

"But who are you going to marry, Hermione? You're under the new law, correct? I'm a half-blood, but I'm thinking I'm going to ask Professor Weasley to marry me."

"I don't know yet, Lav," Hermione lied, "Good luck with Charlie."

Ginny couldn't contain her laughter- her laughter practically filled the Great Hall.

* * *

Two days passed with little excitement. She'd barely heard from Charlie, other than in his lectures.

Hermione received an owl that told her to meet Charlie in his dungeons at seven, after dinner.

She studied in the library until half past six, and then she ran up to her room. She wanted to change her clothes before going to meet Charlie. Hermione just changed into a nicer pair of jeans, and a casual shirt. She didn't want to seem like she was trying too hard.

When she got to his rooms, she carefully knocked on the door. Images of the woman she'd met last time she was here flew through her head. She pushed them out, or she tried to.

Charlie opened the door, and pulled her in, kissing her at the same time.

"Evening, beautiful. I'll show you to your table, where you'll be dining with a charming redheaded gentleman." Charlie said, walking her to the table where she'd once fallen asleep, her face buried in a text about tattoos.

The table looked rather well put together, for Charlie, that is. A single candle burned from its place on the center of the table.

For some reason, his rooms had come with a kitchenette. The oven timer dinged, and he took out a smaller sized ham. It looked delicious, like something Molly had cooked.

Their dinner had consisted of typical conversation. When she'd finished with her meal, he'd asked her to go for a walk with him.

Hermione let him take her to Diagon Alley, without telling her why. She already trusted him in ways she didn't trust most wizards. He'd insisted that it was a surprise, and if he told her, it just wouldn't be the same.

He steered her towards the Three Broomsticks. Hermione's eyes narrowed in suspicion, wondering why he was taking her _here_. The hotel above the bar was a convenient location for drunken witches and wizards looking for some love. Hermione groaned when she realized she'd been one of those girls.

Hermione let Charlie lead her up the staircase, pausing by the last door in the hallway. He used the key to open the door and gently pushed her inside.

"Now, Hermione, baby, I'm not bringing you here for sex. I just wanted a new part of our relationship to begin where our relationship started."

Hermione grinned, relieved. "Our relationship, technically, started at the Burrow."

"Hermione, I was thinking of ways to prove to you that I'm committed to you. I want your trust again, Hermione. I can see it in your eyes—you're calculating my every move. And, frankly, you should be. I messed up. I shouldn't have ever left that damn doctor's office. But, the real reason why we're here is because I'm hoping to right my first wrong, as far as our relationship is concerned."

Hermione was utterly confused. As far as she was concerned, his first and only mistake, was cheating on her. She didn't see how bringing her here, of all places, could change that. She watched as he pulled a blue velvet jewelry box out of his pocket.

Hermione started to hyperventilate, hoping she didn't have her engagement ring in his pocket. She wasn't ready to accept such a thing from him, yet. She didn't want to think about his reaction to _that_ rejection.

"Before you freak out, open it." Charlie instructed, watching her. She reached out to take the box from him, her hand shaking. She was nervous.

Inside the box was a simple silver band, but as Hermione stared at it, she noticed the initials engraved on the front of the ring- CBW.

Hermione looked up at Charlie, still confused.

"Hermione, will you be my girlfriend?"

Relieved that the sentence didn't end like she thought it would, she burst out laughing. His face fell, upset by her reaction.

"Charlie, I'm sorry I'm laughing. Yes, I'll be your girlfriend." Hermione said, rising up on her tiptoes to kiss him.

* * *

After brief reminiscing, Hermione and Charlie had gone back to the castle relatively early. Early enough for her to walk through the castle to her own bed.

But Charlie wouldn't let her go back on her own.

"Hermione, I'm your boyfriend. Let me walk you back. It's part of my duties." Part of Hermione giggled when he said duties, and the other part of her melted.

"Fine, I give up. Walk me home, Charlie." Hermione said, smiling at him. He took her arm, and linked his with hers.

They walked through the castle, somehow managing to avoid running into any other students. He came to a stop at her portrait hole.

"I'll have to give you one of my tours of the castle. They were infamous when I was a student," Charlie said, winking at her. "I knew all the hidden passages."

Hermione smiled as she leaned in to kiss him, and she lingered for a moment or two. "Bye, boyfriend!" Hermione whispered in his ear.

Hermione walked to her room with a grin on her face the entire time. Hermione turned on the light in her room before walking to her dresser.

She froze as she heard someone move in her bed. She knew it wasn't Charlie. Hermione turned, ready to grab her wand if she needed it. She sighed in relief when she recognized the figure to be Harry James Potter, her best friend.

Hermione sat next to him, rubbing his back. She could tell he was worried about something by the way his brow was furrowed. He was cuddling with one of her pillows, holding on to it for dear life.

"Harry," Hermione whispered, hoping it'd be enough to wake him up.

"Mione, love, I missed you." Harry responded, his voice rough from sleep. He turned so he was facing her, but he didn't move into a sitting position. He handed her the pillow he'd been cuddling with.

"Ginny just told me that I'm gonna be a daddy."

* * *

an: I know Lavender's a pureblood, but I thought it'd be funny to see bits and pieces of her 'searching' for a spouse. Idk how I feel about this chapter yet...


	8. A Mother Always Knows

Harry looked so distraught. More distraught than Hermione had ever seen him, and they'd been through a lot together.

Hermione realized she hadn't talked to Ginny in forever, instantly feeling bad. She wasn't being a very good friend. Hermione made a mental note to sit down and have some time with Ginny.

"Harry, that's wonderful!" Hermione watched Harry's reaction carefully, trying to figure out how he felt about the news. He looked upset, sure, but it may just be a big shock to him.

Harry looked at her, and Hermione instantly knew he wasn't all that excited about it.

Hermione crawled into the bed, lying next to him. She often wondered what a romantic relationship between the two of them would have been like. They had everything but the physical contact, except the sleeping together, of course.

"Talk to me Harry," Hermione whispered. She didn't know how else to begin this conversation.

"Hermione, I'm The Boy Who Lived. Twice." Harry stated, rolling his eyes, but still somehow managing to come across as serious.

"You have everything in your power to protect your family. And when you need help, you have Ron and I, along with the entire Order."

Harry had defeated Voldemort, but the Order was still healthy and strong. They still squished any possible dark magic they heard of, and kept tabs on most of the notoriously dark families. Like, for instance, the Parkinsons.

"What if this baby has to go through what I went through? Hermione, Ginny and I are practically the mirror image of my parents. History repeats itself."

Hermione didn't respond, mostly because she didn't know how. Hermione felt her eyelids drifting shut, and she fought to stay awake.

* * *

Harry and Hermione had to run to Defense the next morning. They'd both fallen asleep, worrying about their separate yet similar problems.

"Professor Weasley? Are you a PureBlood?" Lavender asked, raising her hand during Defense lecture.

Ron leaned over and whispered, "Do you know what that's about?"

Hermione shook her head, Lavender's intentions not coming to her immediately.

"Yes, Ms. Brown. I am. Why do you ask?" Charlie leaned against his desk, crossing his arms. His blue eyes found Hermione's before moving in Lavender's direction.

Lavender giggled before responding, causing Hermione to roll her eyes. "I'm sure we've all heard of the new marriage law by now, Professor. I need to find myself a husband before I'm thrown in Azkaban."

Hermione watched, amazed, as the stoic expression remained on Charlie's face. She wouldn't have been able to remain calm if she were in his shoes. Who wanted Lavender Brown lusting after them, anyway? Well, except for Ron, it seemed.

"Sorry, Ms. Brown."

"Are you... available, Professor?" Hermione saw the panicked look in Charlie's eyes. Harry glanced at Hermione, watching for her reaction.

"No, Ms. Brown, I'm not. But that wouldn't be any of your business, now would it?" The reaction in the classroom was instant. Girls buzzed with curiosity. Boys, at least the ones behind Hermione, were wondering what kind of 'babe' the infamous had her claws in Charlie Weasley.

Charlie fought threw lecture, demanding attention. Hermione sat, silently fuming. They hadn't even told his parents yet, and here he was, announcing their relationship to the entire school.

It was probably all over the castle by now, and he hadn't even dismissed lecture yet. As if he'd read her mind, he assigned a section of reading before letting them go.

He grabbed her hand as she tried to walk past him. Neither Harry nor Ron asked if they should stay behind, but they probably knew she was furious. They wouldn't want to be caught in the line of fire.

"All right, let me have it." Charlie said, once the last student had walked out of the room. He was sitting on the edge of his desk, his arms crossed and his blue eyes focused on her.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hermione muttered, finding a very interesting spot on the wall behind his head.

"You're pissed, Hermione. Any bloke can see it. It's all over your face," Charlie said, the slight Irish accent in his voice surprising her. Sure, he'd spent a year and a half in Ireland, but she'd never noticed it before.

He was also looking at her with an intensity that terrified her.

"We haven't even told your mum yet, Charlie, and you just told Lavender Brown. That's like announcing it in the Prophet, except the news will travel a lot faster"

"Well, that'll be my own problem. My mother has to have some suspicion. I mean, she's a mom, Hermione. They somehow know everything. My dad has also probably checked on the matches for all of us, since he's got Ministry connections."

"They deserve to know, Charlie. From us, and not from gossip."

Charlie sighed at Hermione's words, pulling her towards him, so she was standing between his legs. He leaned towards her, pressing his mouth against hers.

"Charlie," Hermione whispered, pulling away, "We have to tell them soon. " Charlie made a noise, moving his lips to her neck.

"Charlie," Hermione hissed, "You're going to give me a love bite." She put her hands against his solid chest and pushed. He didn't budge.

"Charlie Weasley, I'm going to be late to class." Hermione muttered between his kisses.

"I'll write you a late pass," Charlie answered, laughter in his voice.

Hermione groaned, half in annoyance, half in pleasure. She had never known, until she met Charlie Weasley, that kisses could feel this way.

His hands sneaked in her cloak, and up her shirt. His fingers grazed the bottom of her bra, as their mouths fought for control of the kiss.

The dungeon door slammed shut. Charlie and Hermione broke apart. Hermione struggled to appear normal. Like she hadn't just been snogging her professor.

"Mr. Weasley, you're extremely late for our meeting. I got worried and came to investigate. Ms. Granger, shouldn't you be in class?" McGonagall's eyes held a hint of amusement, even though the tone of her voice was all business.

"Sorry, Headmistress. Professor Weasley, may I have a late pass?" Hermione cringed, hating the way that sounded. _Professor_. Professor made Charlie seem like an old man that couldn't keep it in his pants. Her Charlie Weasley was a sexy, retired Quidditch player who knew how to kiss.

Charlie scribbled on a blank piece of paper, handing it to Hermione. When she moved to take the paper, his hand latched on to hers. Hermione stared at him, hoping he wouldn't make this situation any worse. He pulled her towards her, placing a kiss on her cheek before letting her go.

Hermione left the Dungeon, thoroughly embarrassed. When she was halfway to her next classroom, Hermione was brave enough to read her late pass. Professors were required to give a reason why the student was late, in order to make it harder for the passes to be magically copied.

Ms. Granger and I were snogging. The Headmistress interrupted us; otherwise we'd still be going at it.

He had signed his name, which was unreadable, and included the time. Hermione hoped her other professor wasn't one to closely examine late passes.

Hermione opened the door to the classroom, and the noise that had been filling the room before was now gone. All eyes were staring at her, including Harry and Ron's.

Hermione approached Hagrid, who beamed at her. Hagrid was still teaching Care of Magical Creatures, much to the dismay of some students and their parents. Wordlessly, Hermione handed Hagrid her pass.

"Charlie Weasley, huh?" Hagrid asked, first reading the signature at the bottom. Hermione could feel her face burning. She looked up at Hagrid, and noticed his face was quite red, too.

"Take your seat, 'Mione." Hagrid instructed, refusing to look at her.

Harry gave her a look, questioning her lateness. Ron leaned over and whispered, "Why were you late?" Hermione glared at him, before she decided it was time to be perfectly honest.

"Your brother and I were snogging."

* * *

Hermione and Ginny had a date. They desperately needed some girl time.

They were currently curled up in Hermione's bed, with spoons and a carton of ice cream. Hermione had pleaded with one of the house elves to keep the kitchen stocked with ice cream.

"He's so upset, 'Mione."

"He just needs some time to adjust, Gin. He'll be fine." Ginny rolled her eyes at Hermione's statement.

"How did Charlie react?"

"Well, it's almost like he knew it was coming, actually. He wasn't surprised, or angry, or upset. He barely reacted in ways that weren't completely supportive. Even when I told him it might not be his," Hermione answered, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Charlie has never been able to contain his bursts of emotion that well, 'Mione. Now tell me the real story." Ginny grinned, scooping up another helping of ice cream.

"He knew before I told him." Hermione concluded, suddenly upset.

"Hermione, Charlie wants a future with you. He was devastated when you rejected his proposal. He even gave you your promise ring- which, I think, is an adorable gesture. He's not going anywhere, and that ring is to promise that."

It turns out Charlie had gone to Ginny before purchasing the ring, with the idea already in his head. He just wanted Hermione's ring size.

"Ginny, Harry's just worried about being able to protect you and your baby. I'm sure he'll come around. He just needs some time to adjust to the idea of being a father."

"I hope that's it, 'Mione. I can't do this by myself."

* * *

The next day flew by, Hermione's classes were just your typical, average lessons. Hagrid wasn't looking at Hermione, though.

When she was done with her last class, Charlie was waiting for her in the hallway. He was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed. His brow was furrowed, and she wondered what he was thinking about.

"Do you have any plans tonight?" Charlie asked, his voice lowered so he wouldn't be overheard.

Hermione shook her head negatively, wondering what was up. He looked worried and eerily calm.

"How do you feel about going to the Burrow?" Charlie asked, raising an eyebrow in question. Hermione wondered what suddenly got through to him. He hadn't wanted to tell his parents when she'd brought it up.

"When are we leaving?" Hermione asked, knowing today was Friday and there was an Irish Quidditch game on Saturday. Charlie tried to make it to as many games as he could.

"Now? You don't need a change of clothes. I'm hoping we can make it back in time for me to catch the Ireland game."

"Let's go," Hermione said as he led her to the Dungeon. They used his Floo, and several moments later, they were at the Burrow.

"Charlie, my lovely boy!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, her voice carrying from the kitchen. She was hurrying towards them with a wooden spoon in her hand.

"Hi, Mum," Charlie answered, wrapping his arms around Mrs. Weasley when she got close enough. It was then she noticed Hermione.

"Hermione came, too? How did I get so lucky?" Mrs. Weasley asked, hugging Hermione. Hermione smiled and asked Mrs. Weasley if she needed any help.

"Arthur is out in the shed, Charlie. Tell him dinner is almost ready." Charlie nodded, and left. Hermione wondered if she was supposed to drop their bomb on her own.

"Hermione, how are you, dear?" Hermione noticed the way Mrs. Weasley's eyes raked over her as she asked.

"I'm great, Mrs. Weasley. I could use a home cooked meal, though."

Charlie and Arthur came back in, and the four of them sat down for dinner.

"So, what brings you here, Charlie? We weren't expecting you but we're glad you're here, of course." Arthur asked, his blue eyes smiling at Hermione.

"Actually, Hermione and I wanted to tell you a couple things before the news broke out in the Prophet." Charlie stated and his words followed by the clang of Mrs. Weasley's spoon falling against her plate. Hermione wished he'd been more graceful about it, introducing the subject slowly and carefully.

Charlie's hand found Hermione's, underneath the table. He glanced at her before releasing air he'd been holding in.

"Charlie, are you in trouble?" Arthur asked, a worried tone to his voice. Mrs. Weasley still hadn't said anything, but the witch was staring at Hermione.

"No, Dad. I'm more myself than I have been in several years."

"Is Hermione in danger?" Mrs. Weasley asked, a shrill worry to her voice. If Hermione had just met the woman for the first time, she would have mistaken it for anger.

"Yes," Hermione answered, "I'm sure you both know of the new marriage law."

"Yes, dear. We thought you'd be married to Ron by now," Mrs. Weasley admitted, frowning slightly. Charlie made a noise of disgust before continuing.

"Hermione's not going to be marrying Ron, Mum. They were never a very good fit." Charlie responded, and Hermione squeezed his hand, willing him to shut up. He was making this whole thing worse.

"The ministry wouldn't let me marry Ron, Mrs. Weasley. They informed me I was already bound to another wizard."

"What? That's preposterous. There's only one old aspect of the law that they're still upholding. You'd have to have a marriage tattoo." Arthur said, his face turning red.

Hermione looked at her plate, losing her famous Gryffindor courage. Hopefully Charlie had enough for the both of them.

"The night of my retirement party, we'd all been drinking. I woke up the next morning to the most beautiful witch I'd ever seen. She was furious with me; she wasn't the kind of woman who slept around."

"Arthur, they have the tattoos. They're bound to each other. My poor Ronald," Mrs. Weasley interrupted, her hand flying to her mouth.

A mother always knows, Hermione thought.

"Ron's taking this surprisingly well, Mum. Although I get snide comments from him every now and then," Charlie admitted, glancing at Hermione. Hermione hadn't known that there had been a profound difference in the brother's relationship. She supposed she was stupid for thinking there hadn't been.

"Have you been intimate?" Arthur asked, instantly regretting his question. "Well, since your retirement party?"

"No, sir. Other than a few kisses here and there," Charlie answered, his eyes focused on his fathers.

"Why aren't you wearing an engagement ring?" Mrs. Weasley asked, pulling Hermione's left hand towards her for inspection.

"I asked Hermione to marry me, Mum. She declined," Charlie said, but he continued before his mother interrupted him, "But we're dating, and we're going to get married before the deadline."

"Hermione, how could you turn down a man like my Charlie?" Mrs. Weasley asked, shocked. Hermione noted she'd gotten over her abandoning Ron.

"That's between me and Hermione, Mum. You're getting another grandchild, just like you wanted."

Hermione didn't like the harsh tone Charlie was using with his mother. But she was happy she didn't have to answer Mrs. Weasley's question.

"Hermione, you're pregnant?" Arthur asked, after several beats of silence. Mrs. Weasley had turned into a statue, staring at them.

"Yes, Mr. Weasley."

Mrs. Weasley got up from her chair and she walked towards Hermione. The woman pulled Hermione out of her chair, wrapping her in a hug.

"I'm sorry for my reaction, Hermione. I'm thrilled I can officially call you part of the family. If you were meant to be with Ron, then you'd still be with him."

* * *

Hermione and Charlie were staying in Charlie's old room. Mrs. Weasley had insisted on cooking breakfast for them before they left.

She was reading an old Quidditch magazine that had been on his nightstand. The feature article was on Charlie Weasley. He was reading a massive book on the history of Quidditch.

After several beats of silence, Hermione gave in. The suspense was killing her. The Weasley's reaction to her pregnancy had reminded her of Charlie's on reaction.

"Charlie, why were you so calm when I told you I was pregnant?"

"What?" Charlie looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"You were calm. Harry freaked out. Most men show some kind of emotion when they find out they're going to be a Daddy. You, however, were very very calm." Hermione realized her mistake after she stopped talking. Her eyes grew in surprise, hoping he wouldn't pick up on it.

"Harry freaked out? Is Ginny pregnant?" Charlie asked, putting two and two together.

"No! I don't know why you'd think that. He freaked out when I told him I was pregnant," Hermione said, hoping he'd by her excuse. No such luck. Charlie rolled his eyes at her.

"Hermione, I was there. You were in my classroom. That's why I was calm. I knew before you told me and I had time to adjust to the idea."

Hermione sat down on the bed, adjusting to the confession. Hermione had a feeling he'd waited until she told him, as a way of protecting her feelings. She had never once considered the possibility that it hadn't been a surprise to him.

"Ginny's pregnant?" Charlie asked, sitting beside her. She looked at him, wondering if she had any hope of lying.

"You aren't supposed to know." Hermione responded, feeling like the worst friend in the world.

"I really don't want to have to fight Harry," Charlie admitted, a grin on his face. He fell backwards on the bed and he was staring at the ceiling. He put his hands behind his head and a thoughtful expression on his face.

Hermione mirrored his actions, but she kept her hands at her sides. She turned her head to look at Charlie; she could only see his profile.

"We still have to tell your brothers," Hermione muttered, after a picture of them playing Quidditch when they were younger had caught her attention. The picture was on the wall with the rest of Charlie's Quidditch memorabilia.

"They're going to congratulate me for snatching up such a beautiful witch." Charlie leaned over and kissed her before she could disagree.

* * *

an: So. Much. Homework! But I write when I feel like I have some free time... sorry this took forever! But homework has to come first, guys! :)


	9. Secret

Hermione felt a burning sensation on her back during the middle of dinner. She had been enjoying her green beans, until the heat startled her into dropping her fork causing the beans falling in her lap. The burst of heat was happening with more and more regularity, and she'd figured out that the heat occurred whenever Charlie was watching her.

This dinner was quite unenjoyable. Ron had stolen her place between Harry and Ginny. She was stuck between Seamus and Lavender Brown.

Her ears were assaulted with Lavender's attempts to flirt with Ron. Much to Hermione's surprise, nothing had resulted from the connection the two had made the night of Charlie's party. At least publically. Hermione was waiting for Lavender to rope Ron into marriage.

Nobody had really noticed Hermione and Ron's lack of interaction. They probably just assumed she was really frustrated with him. It'd happened before.

Ginny was sending apologetic looks Hermione's way, sometimes rolling her eyes at something Lavender had said. The whole Great Hall could see Lavender's black lacey bra, poking out under the shirt she was wearing. For some reason Lavender had changed out of her robes earlier than she usually did. She wasn't the only one who had changed, though. Most of the girls were wearing low-cut shirts.

Hermione knew Seamus was interested in her. He had been during the later months of Hermione and Ron's relationship. Seamus was talking to her about Charlie's days as a Quidditch player, as if she hadn't already read up on his statistics.

Seamus was staring at her expectantly.

"Excuse me. I don't know where my mind is today. What did you say, Seamus?" Hermione was careful to bat her eyelashes at him to make up for her mistake. She was trying to undo the damage Charlie had caused with Lavender. Surely someone would put two and two together eventually if they weren't careful.

"Would you be interested in going out with me, Hermione? I know you're in need of a husband, and well, Ron isn't making a move." Hermione stared at Seamus's face. Ginny had obviously heard, for she choked on her pumpkin juice. Harry was patting her on the back, and Ron was watching the two with confusion, oblivious as usual.

The burning sensation on her lower back increased. Hermione was beginning to feel uncomfortable, which was partly why she'd spaced out when Seamus had apparently first asked her out.

She felt a hand on her back, and she turned her head to see who was behind her. Hermione tired not to smile at Charlie as he pushed his way between her and Seamus. Seamus was shocked, clearly not wanting to turn down the famous Quidditch player. Or lose out on a conversation with him, not in the classroom setting.

"Man, I missed this table." Charlie said, grinning at the stunned group. Never had a professor sat amongst students.

"Do I have something on my face?" Charlie's question pushed the group into resuming action.

"Say, Hermione. You didn't get a chance to answer my question."

Hermione had been hoping that Seamus had forgotten about that. Now Charlie and the entire table would hear her turn him down. Charlie looked at her curiously, almost as if he knew what the question was.

"What was the question? Maybe I know the answer. Hermione doesn't know everything." Charlie said, obviously trying to provoke her. At least it was obvious to Hermione.

Seamus's face turned bright red, and Charlie suddenly looked rather uncomfortable as well. So he hadn't known what the question was.

"I, well, I asked Hermione if she'd like to go out with me." Seamus looked at her, with his big brown eyes that were very much like her own. Hermione took a second to think about it. What would the harm be in going out with him once? She could always say it didn't work out, and save him the humiliation now.

"I'd love to go out with you, Seamus."

Hermione's devious mind was working a mile a minute. Maybe this would make Charlie insanely jealous, and he'd want to make their relationship public. Which they can't do without telling his brothers first.

The look on Charlie's face was priceless. Hermione also wished Colin Creevey was around with his camera. Even Ron was staring at her with food hanging out of his mouth. Ginny was the only one that didn't seem particularly bothered by this recent development. Well, excluding Seamus. His smile could practically light up the great hall if he wanted it to.

"What did you say?" Seamus asked, staring at her.

"Name the time and the place, and I'll be there. But for now I've got to go to the library." Hermione got up from the table, grabbing her bag. She avoided all contact with Charlie, but kissed Seamus's cheek before leaving.

Hermione walked out of the Great Hall with a Cheshire Cat smile on her face.

* * *

Hermione had been casually watching her watch, keeping track of how much time had passed since she left the Great Hall. She pretended not to notice when Charlie dropped into the chair across from her. Her books were scattered on the table between the two chairs.

A full two minutes passed before Charlie cleared his throat, and she glanced up at him, feigning surprise.

"Hey." Hermione simply looked at Charlie before returning her focus to her book. She had a huge test in Defense Against the Dark Arts tomorrow. There were a few charms she wasn't all that confident with. Probably because her attention had been elsewhere during the lectures, an uncharacteristic action for Hermione.

"I have a test tomorrow, Charlie. Is this important?" Charlie's eyes narrowed at her before he responded. Okay, maybe she was being a little too cold. She was tired of being treated like his dirty little secret. She didn't want to be restricted kissing behind closed doors. She wanted to make Lavender Brown jealous, damnit!

"Sorry. What's up?" Hermione said, closing her book. She was used to interruptions while studying. She was friends with Harry and Ron, and both boys had small attention spans when it came to studying. Yet they could focus on hour long games of Wizard's Chess.

"Let's start with Seamus," Charlie said, his blue eyes staring at her. His eyes were so much more intense than Ron's. She found it hard to look away and break eye contact with Charlie.

"Okay." Hermione said, refusing to carry this conversation further unless Charlie dominated the conversation. The silence clearly frustrated him, his face was slowly turning red.

"Hermione, you can't be serious. You're pregnant with _my_ child. You're wearing _my_ ring on your finger. You accidentally write _my_ last name on your paperwork." Charlie emphasized the most important word in each of the sentences. His voice was getting louder and louder as he went on.

"Seamus doesn't know that, Charlie. You can't fault him for what he didn't know."

Charlie stared at her as if she had three heads.

"But you did! I don't know how to make myself much clearer, Hermione. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I'm done making these self-declarations. I'm not the type of guy who normally wears his hard on his sleeve, Hermione. What keeps pushing you to act like this?"

Hermione stared at her feet, avoiding Charlie's powerful gaze.

"I'm tired of being a secret, Charlie." Hermione whispered, for she didn't like admitting her weaknesses. She was one of the smartest witches of her generation, and this wizard wanted to keep their relationship quiet.

"What?" Charlie asked, shock in his voice. He hadn't expected her response.

"We can't be in public together, Charlie. Your own brothers don't even know about our relationship. They're about to be uncles."

"Love, that has nothing to do with you. Those are my own insecurities. We can make arrangements to tell my brothers this weekend. I've been putting it off because I don't want to be that brother that stole his little brother's girlfriend. And his sister's best friend, by the way."

"They'll be hurt if we put off telling them, Charlie."

"They don't even know you broke up with Ron," Charlie retorted. Hermione got out of her own chair, knowing Charlie's eyes were on her as she straddled him.

"Ron didn't deserve a witch like me, Charlie. He had me, but he lost me because of his own actions. You didn't push him into kissing Lavender Brown." Charlie's face turned upwards, his expression unreadable. Hermione lowered her mouth on Charlie's, showing him that she didn't want Ron or Seamus.

Charlie's mouth fought for control of the kiss, but Hermione wasn't letting him have it. Hermione's hands found the scars that marred Charlie's chest. Hermione found the spot. The spot on Charlie's neck that made him react to her kisses. Charlie's hands pushed off her robes, working their way towards her bra. Her earlobe was between his teeth, and shivers went down her spine every time he tugged on it.

His hands were working on undoing her bra when she pulled away from him. She didn't move her hips, but she leaned far out of his reach. He made a small whining noise before opening his eyes.

"Hermione, do I need to go over the list again?" Charlie asked, grinning at her like a proud man.

"We're in the library, Charlie." Hermione whispered, slowly getting off him. Charlie sighed and let her move off him. She quickly gathered her books, barely making eye contact with him. She took off at a run, hoping he'd catch on.

* * *

Hermione was watching the seconds tick past the second time that night. Charlie's eyes lit up when he entered his room, noticing the witch lying across his unmade bed.

"What took you so long?" Hermione demanded, hoping he knew she was kidding.

"You didn't expect me to walk through the castle with that hard-on," Charlie said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"You'll remember I have a test tomorrow." Hermione stated, a huge grin on her face. Charlie laughed, crawling towards her on the bed.

"We may have to postpone the test," Charlie whispered, his mouth hovering above hers.

* * *

Hermione made extra sure to set a loud alarm clock before she and Charlie fell asleep. She woke up with a huge smile on her face, and she felt rejuvenated. She hadn't gone any farther than usual with Charlie. Giving him just enough to keep him satisfied. She wasn't entirely sure their relationship was stable, and she didn't want sex to complicate things.

She walked into Charlie's classroom with Harry and Ron, who were both surprised to see her waiting for them in the common room.

Charlie didn't look up as she entered his classroom, but she assumed he felt the same burning sensation she did whenever he was around. The moment she sat down she noticed his blue eyes were focused on her. Harry thoughtfully sat in between, keeping Hermione and Ron separated. The grin Charlie gave her put a smile on her on face. Charlie stood up, grabbing the huge stack of parchment on his desk.

"I thought about ripping up the exams," Charlie paused as he let his words sink in, "But then I decided against it." The annoyed groaning filled the room, a much different noise then the ones that filled the dungeon the night before.

Hermione accepted her test, immediately scribbling furiously on the paper. Charlie was a good teacher, and that was evident in the questions he had chosen. He knew what they needed more time with, so he spent more tie covering that. He involved every student rather than letting Hermione dominate the classroom.

Hermione finished her test second, right behind Blaise Zambini. The Head Boy and Girl smiled at each other when they noticed their timing. Hermione put her test right on top of Blaise's, hoping Charlie would look at it before she left the classroom.

Charlie quietly called her name, hoping not to distract other students from their tests or call attention to them.

"We're having dinner at Fred & George's tomorrow night." Charlie whispered, his gaze trained on Hermione's test. He grinned at her when she saw the name on top of her paper.

Hermione J. Weasley.

* * *

an: This is the second version of this chapter, just fyi. I wasn't happy with how the first one went, so I deleted it and started over. Also, I haven't quite figured out how I want to spill the beans to the brothers, or how I want them to react. Thanks for the reviews! :)


	10. Tick, Tick, Tick, Boom!

It was exactly six in the evening, and she'd been waiting for this night for a month. Charlie had promised her that they'd tell his brothers about their relationship and their baby tonight.

Hermione continued to watch the clock, assuming Charlie was late just because it was in his genetics. Ron had always been late to meet her, and Harry was always late to any sort of meeting they'd have. Ginny was the only one that ever met her on time, if not early. She grabbed her book and settled in, knowing she'd be miserable if she simply stared at the clock until Charlie arrived.

A knock on the door disturbed her from her book. Hermione yelled at the visitor to come in, smiling when she saw it was Charlie. Finally.

She felt the smile on her face fall as Charlie entered the room. He was wearing old jeans complete with mud stains, grass stains, and rips at the knee. She could tell from here that they hugged his backside nicely, but that didn't matter now. He was wearing a ratty Quidditch shirt that Hermione knew had been around since his days as a teen. It was a green shirt, advertising Charlie's Quidditch team. His hair hadn't been brushed since at least that morning. There was a bruise forming above his left eyebrow, and mud stains on his chin.

"What happened to you?" Hermione assumed his appearance was connected with why he was late. She walked towards him and focused her attention on his bruise. It would be a nasty one in the morning.

Charlie leaned in and kissed her cheek quickly, taking advantage of their closeness. He rested his forehead on her shoulder when she didn't pull away from him.

"Ron and I got into a fight," Charlie said, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her into a hug. Hermione pulled him in tighter, her face against his defined chest. They stood there for moments before Charlie gently pushed her away.

"We've got to head to Fred & George's. We're already late." Charlie said, grabbing her head and guiding her out of the room. Hermione bit her tongue to keep her from asking whether or not he thought he should change into nicer clothes. This was a big night.

* * *

They were in the hallway that led to Fred and George's apartment. Charlie was frozen in front of the doorway. Or at least Hermione thought he was. He'd been standing, motionless, in the same position since they arrived.

"Charlie," Hermione whispered, sliding her hand around his waist. She leaned into his side, looking up at his profile. His eyes flickered down to her, but didn't say anything in response. Slowly he turned his body until they were pressed together intimately.

Hermione let him push her until her back hit the wall. His mouth crashed down on hers. Charlie deepened the kiss, and Hermione arched towards him, desperate to get closer.

"We're in this together," Charlie whispered in her ear, kissing her cheek once before putting some distance between them.

Hermione stared at his back as he walked to the door, a confident stride. She was suddenly nervous for them, wondering why he'd been so nervous prior to that sudden confidence shift. It's not like the Weasleys were an unforgiving, rigid sort. They generally adapted to change.

Charlie knocked on the door twice before Fred answered.

"Hold your horses, boy!" Fred grinned at his brother, giving him a fierce hug before acting as though it was torture.

"'Mione! How nice of you to grace us with your presence. Odd you and Charlie arrived at the same time! Just in time, though. Dinner's almost done." Fred said, gesturing them into the apartment.

Everyone was already there, including Ginny and Harry. Ron, however, was absent. Hermione immediately made her way to Ginny and Harry, separating herself from Charlie to avoid further suspicion.

Fred had made dinner, much to Hermione's surprise. She had been expecting a meal from Mrs. Weasley.

Hermione was starving. She was looking forward to a second, and possibly third, helping of Fred's lasagna. Hermione couldn't remember ever being this hungry before.

It wasn't until they were halfway through their entree before someone noticed Ron was missing.

"Where's Ron?" Bill asked, his voice carrying over the conversations at the table.

"Ron had detention with Filch. He was caught with Lavender Brown after curfew," Ginny answered, shrugging as if it was no big deal.

"Hermione, aren't you under the new marriage law?" Percy asked, as if he didn't already know the answer.

Percy had purposefully seated himself beside Hermione, and Fleur was on Hermione's other side. Charlie was in the spot farthest from her own, at the other end of the table across from Bill.

"Yes. I have to get married within the next month," Hermione answered. The law was generous enough to give the couples two months time to get acquainted prior to marriage. It was seen as an engagement period in the eyes of the Ministry. The time also gave families enough time to plan fake weddings.

"Haz Ron propozed?" Fleur asked, smiling at Hermione innocently. Fleur didn't know that she'd just set up the perfect opportunity to tell the Weasley's about Charlie and Hermione.

"He has," Hermione answered. She had forgotten that Charlie didn't know the details of that proposal, or of her turning Ron down.

"But the ministry says that I'm already bound to someone else." Hermione supplied, glancing at Charlie for backup. She wasn't quite sure he was entirely ready to tell his brothers and Fleur the news.

"It's Krum, isn't it? That bastard always wanted you for himself," George asked, shaking his head in disbelief. Hermione tried not to laugh at the idea of her married to Viktor.

"The Ministry is only upholding binding situations in the case of Veelas and Werewolves," said Percy, "and the old magic behind the marriage tattoos is unbreakable, so they have to respect that, as well."

Hermione silently cursed Percy for relaying too much information. She had wanted to keep that part of their relationship a secret. She didn't want the whole Weasley family to know she'd been a slut and cheated on Ron. With his brother, to make matters worse.

"Hermione has a dragon tattoo on her lower back," Charlie stated, smiling slightly at her, "and I have a new tattoo on my bicep. It's an otter."

"An otter is Hermione's patronus, right?" Percy asked, looking rather confused.

"The better question is... how does Charlie know Hermione has a tattoo that hides behind clothes?" George asked, raising one red eyebrow in suspicion. Everyone was looking at Charlie for an answer, including Hermione. She wanted to see how he'd handle the question. He could easily come up with a lie.

"Hermione and I shagged under the influence of too much FireWhiskey," Charlie said, loudly to make sure everyone could hear him the first time. At least he doesn't sound ashamed about it, Hermione thought.

"And apparently visited a dark shop in Knockturn Alley. So now we have these marriage tattoos, and the ministry is forcing us to follow through legally." Hermione added, making sure her words were clear enough to be understood the first time. And she didn't want to answer hundreds of questions about their situation.

"What about Ron?" Fred asked, his arms crossed. Hermione couldn't tell if he was angry or not. Fred was good at hiding his real emotions, much like Ron.

"Ron let me go the second he let Lavender Brown kiss him," Hermione responded. She became worried when nobody said anything for several moments.

"Charlie, you're married to one of the most beautiful witches in the world and you didn't want to brag about it?" George asked, winking at Hermione. Hermione let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in. At least they had one ally.

"We aren't married, yet." Charlie said, grinning at George as he scooped a piece of lasagna into his mouth.

"I can't believe you snagged Hermione right out from under Ron," Fred added, as if it was clearly the biggest feat Charlie could have ever accomplished. Never mind the dragons and his status as a professional Quidditch player. Hermione grinned at Harry, thankful that this news was getting this sort of happy reaction. She had expected the opposite, at least from Percy.

"I never suspected they were right when they called you a slut," Percy muttered, barely audible to Hermione.

"What did you say?" Hermione asked, her eyes focused on him. He wouldn't dare look at her, but she would certainly watch him like a hawk. Hermione could feel Charlie's gaze on her, ready to intervene but willing to let her try and gain control of the situation first. Ron would have angrily taken charge of the matter without a second thought, ultimately making the situation worse.

"Are you planning on making your way through all of my brothers, Hermione?" Percy asked, this time loud enough for the whole table to hear him. The tension in the room suddenly increased, skyrocketing to abnormal levels for the Weasley family.

"Percy Weasley, that is the most ridiculous accusation I've ever heard. And keep in mind I dated Ron. I had a serious _relationship_ with him. Until he jeopardized it for dumb Lavender Brown." Hermione's voice had risen to a tone that only teachers and mothers reached.

"So you had to go for a Weasley?" Percy demanded, a forceful tone to his voice.

"It's my fault," Ginny spoke up, demanding the attention of the table. "I pushed Charlie at Hermione that night. Under no other circumstances would Hermione cheat on Ron. But I didn't force Ron into kissing Lavender Brown. He did that all on his own."

Hermione noticed Charlie's clenched fists gripping the knife that'd been at his place setting.

"Perce, you just recently regained some of our trust. You don't have all of it. So I suggest you tread carefully," Bill warned, a dangerous tone to his deep voice. Hermione could have sworn she almost heard the werewolf growl. Percy glared at his older brother for several silent moments.

"I'm going to leave so I don't dig myself a bigger hole," Percy stated, pushing his chair away from the table with a screech. The conversation didn't start up again until Percy had surely left the apartment.

"He's learning," Ginny muttered, shaking her head. Charlie moved to Percy's vacated spot so he could be closer to Hermione. He pulled her chair closer to his, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and kissing her cheek. Hermione heard one of the twins audibly sigh at the sight. Charlie tossed Percy's untouched dinner roll in the twins general direction.

"So how did Ronniekins react?" Fred asked, smiling at Hermione and Charlie.

"Good one, Fred. I want to hear this one." George agreed, walking into the kitchen to get more ButterBeer.

"He was a little upset when I told him, but acts decently around me." Hermione supplied, taking another bite of her lasagna.

"Ron takes all his anger for the situation out on me." Charlie gestured to his bruised eye. It wasn't quite a black eye, but it was swelling up and looking a little red. Hermione focused on his bruise, making a mental note of healing it later with balms she made herself. She knew Charlie wouldn't go see Pomfrey.

"We've been testing a new line of products—"

"And you can help us out by testing them on Ron—"

Sometimes the way the twins talked made Hermione's head tilt in confusion. The back and forth was sometimes hard to follow if you weren't paying complete attention to the conversation.

"Sorry, guys. I can handle Ron on my own," Charlie insisted. "But Hermione and I have more news to share with you."

Hermione noticed the way Ginny tensed up and avoided eye contact with her. They were entering dangerous territory, it seemed.

"I'm about three months pregnant." Hermione's words were met with unusual silence. Silence was unusual for the Weasley's. She grabbed Charlie's hand underneath the table, squeezing it for support.

"Alright, let's have it." Charlie stated, apparently as tired of the silence as Hermione was. Fred and George just looked at each other in confusion, at a loss for words.

Bill awkwardly cleared his throat but didn't say anything. Ginny and Harry had been mostly silent all dinner, for they knew all of this. They were here for moral support.

* * *

Hermione could practically feel Charlie's anger as he walked her back to her dormitory. She had offered to leave him at his Dungeon, giving him space to sulk on his own. But Charlie had insisted, leading her out of his Dungeon. It was part of his boyfriendly duties, after all. Her arm was hooked around his, and it was obvious they were a couple as they walked through the halls of Hogwarts.

She hadn't tried to talk to Charlie about the Weasley's reactions, because she could tell he wasn't ready. She didn't even want to dwell on their reactions in her own head.

They had left shortly after dinner, mostly due to Charlie's anger. Fred and George treated him as if he was a bomb about to go off, and Bill had pulled Charlie outside for a chat. Charlie and Hermione Apparated back to Hogwarts grounds after she'd helped George with the dishes.

Hermione knew they were getting close to Gryffindor tower. She watched as familiar paintings frowned at her, whispering to each other as Charlie and Hermione walked down the corridors.

Charlie paused at the Gryffindor portrait hole, silently coming to a stop. He gently pushed her against the wall (for the second time that day) and kissed her. She could hear the Fat Lady's gasp of surprise.

"We're gonna be okay, right, Hermione?" Charlie asked, resting his forehead against hers. She looked up into his eyes and she noticed fear in his intense gaze.

Hermione kissed him in response before whispering the password to the portrait.

When Hermione entered her room, she immediately smiled when she noticed Harry sitting on her bed, a book open in front of him. She guaranteed he wasn't reading anything for school, though. He looked up at her and made room for her on the bed.

Hermione turned the book Harry was reading towards her so she could see the title.

_What to Expect When You're Expecting: The Wizarding Edition_.

Hermione struggled to keep her laughter silent, earning her a glare from Harry.

* * *

Hermione dragged herself to breakfast, feeling groggy from her lack of sleep. She'd tossed and turned all night (even accidentally hitting Harry once). She'd been replaying the conversations they'd had with the Weasleys, tying to look for signs that said they were heading down a bad road.

She was lucky enough to score a seat between Ginny and Harry. The two were sitting a person's length apart, so it was almost as if they'd been saving the seat for her.

The second she noticed all the food, she felt everything she'd had to eat recently work its way back up her digestive system. Hermione's eyes widened as she covered her mouth, hurrying to get up from the table.

"Hermione, are you alright?" Harry asked, touching her arm in concern. His green eyes stared into her brown ones as she shook her head no.

Hermione stood up and ran through the Great Hall to the nearest Prefect's Bathroom.

* * *

"Hermione?" Charlie's voice echoed throughout the bathroom. She heard the door creak open and footsteps echoed through the bathroom.

Hermione closed her eyes and braced herself for another round with the toilet. She'd locked herself in the middle stall, for it was the stall she always chose when in bathrooms. Charlie would learn that about her someday. If the Ministry didn't drive them crazy.

"Hermione, baby, let me in." Charlie said, quietly knocking on her stall door. She turned and saw his legs in front of the door. His dirty sneakers peeked out from beneath his black robe. She was sitting on the bathroom floor, leaning against the stall's walls.

"No," Hermione moaned, clutching her stomach. She didn't want Charlie to see her like this. She loved that he thought she was a strong witch.

"Hermione, come on." Hermione could hear worry in Charlie's voice.

Hermione thought it was best to act like she didn't hear him.

"If you don't unlock the stall by the count of three, Hermione Jane Granger, I'll hex the lock off. Then you'll have to explain the situation to McGonagall," Charlie threatened, even though his threat was empty. He could just alohamora the lock without permanent damage to the door. He was a Professor, for goodness sakes. Surely he knew _that_.

* * *

"I can't believe you hexed off the door." Hermione said as she stomped through the corridors sulking over Charlie's actions. He walked next to her, calm as ever.

"Believe it, baby." Charlie grinned at her as she paused to glare at him with her arms crossed over her chest. His eyes kept drifting downwards, his attention not at all on her face. She followed his gaze and noticed that her cleavage was pushing against the top of her robe. She had modestly left the top of her robe unzipped this morning. Hermione frowned as she let her arms fall to her sides thus taming her cleavage. She rolled her eyes when she heard Charlie sigh in disappointment.

"Even Ron would have known to use alohamora." Hermione muttered, once again walking towards the Dungeon. They were both late to Defense.

"Good to know you're feeling better, darling." Charlie's emphasis on the term of endearment earned him another glare. He opened the door and gently pushed her inside his classroom.

* * *

AN: So... you'll get your deeper explanations in the next chapter. I've got the next chapter planned out in my head perfectly. Let's hope it cooperates with me. haha. Review, please! They're my favorite, and they make me want to write more often, meaning you get the next chapter faster! :) Remember, be _kind_ when you point out my mistakes. I'm human!


	11. Bean

After dinner The Golden Trio was in the library, working on a paper Charlie had assigned earlier that day. Ron was interacting with her as if he hadn't just been in a fight with her husband. Harry must have noticed the way she was fiercely glaring at Ron, because he gently kicked her under their table.

"I can't believe he assigned an essay that's _due tomorrow_." Ron complained, dropping his textbook against the table.

"Ron, it's a three hundred word essay." Harry said, with an unusual tone in his voice. He clearly didn't want this discussion to continue. Hermione gratefully smiled at him. She felt Ron's eyes on her as she worked on her essay, which also doubled as ignoring Ron.

Hermione was the first one to finish her essay and she knew Charlie would find no faults in it. She packed up her bag and said her goodbye to Harry before leaving the library.

"Blimey, what do you think got up her arse?" Ron stage-whispered, and Hermione could hear the genuine confusion in his voice.

She had to go thank Charlie for saving her from being stuck to Ron Weasley for the rest of her life.

* * *

When Charlie answered his door, she practically threw herself at him. She never felt this surge of attraction with Ron that she always felt when she saw Charlie, but that might be the tattoos talking.

He didn't push her away as her lips met his. He guided her into his rooms while still kissing her. Hermione smiled against his mouth when she felt him bang into his kitchen table. He broke away from her, hissing in pain and clutching his side.

She gently helped him reach his bed. When he was safely seated on the bed, she carefully took off his shirt.

"All you had to do was ask, Hermione..." The suggestive tone of his voice made Hermione blush, much to her annoyance.

She gasped when she saw the swollen, angry skin near his ribs. There were old scars scattered all over his chest but this was clearly a new injury. One he received during his battle with Ron.

"Don't move," Hermione commanded before she went to search for his healing products. Given his career choices, he was bound to have some with him.

She found the proper balm and walked back to the main room. Charlie's back was against the bed and an arm was acting as a pillow under his head. Other than the red skin across his ribs, he looked like a man waiting for a woman to join him for a night of sex.

"How much pain are you in?" Hermione asked, still in disbelief that he'd managed to hide this injury from her. She supposed her mind had been focused on the twins reaction.

"Not much," Charlie's word ended with another hiss of pain, discrediting what he'd just said. Hermione fought the urge to roll her eyes.

Hermione stared at him, trying to figure out how to properly treat him on his single bed.

"Come closer to me," Hermione demanded, pulling up a chair from the kitchen table and sitting by the end of the bed. There was no way she was getting on that bed with him now. Charlie smirked at her but wordlessly moved towards her, his legs hitting the floor.

She opened up the balm and was rewarded with a distinctly medicinal smell. She supposed she had to get used to such smells if she wanted to someday become a healer.

Hermione tenderly rubbed the green balm against Charlie's skin. She could feel his eyes on her and there was a determined burning sensation coming from her tattoo.

"He thinks I don't deserve you," Charlie whispered, his voice so quiet she barely heard him. Charlie winced again and she knew it was because she was pressing too hard on his bruised skin in anger.

"_He_ doesn't deserve me." Hermione said, certainty in her tone of voice. She kissed Charlie's cheek but continued to rub in balm. She was supposed to rub until his skin started to return to its normal color. The longer she rubbed, the more intense the injury was.

"I've been thinking about what he said. And he's right. He fought that War for _you_. You were the prize waiting for him when we defeated the Dark Lord." Hermione's hand slipped, and she rubbed balm into Charlie's jeans accidentally. Her hand fell on Charlie's inner thigh. She quickly removed her hand and acted like it nothing had happened.

"If it wasn't for our stupid marriage tattoos, you would have married Ron. Not me. That's the way it should be, Hermione." Hermione shook her head no in reaction to Charlie's words.

"Since I've been with you I've been realizing how miserable I would have been if I had actually married Ron." She could make a large laundry list of why Charlie was better for her than Ron, but she'd save them all the embarrassment. She and Ginny had created a list one night after they'd found out they were bonded.

Hermione kissed him. She couldn't stand to see him look so miserable. Her dragon keeper actually looked weak and she hated that it was ultimately because of her.

His hand was under her shirt, caressing the tiny hump that was their baby. She straddled him in a move to get closer to him. As her hands traveled over his chest she knew to be careful of his ribs.

She heard him say her name, and Hermione loved the way it sounded.

"We need to talk about your brothers," Hermione whispered, kissing him. Hermione looked into his blue eyes, waiting for some kind of response.

"They don't understand that we didn't plan any of this." Charlie's words were forceful with other unknown emotions behind them. Hermione paused before responding, unsure what to say.

"What did Bill say?" Hermione was practically dying to know what Bill had confided to Charlie on their post-dinner walk. She was surprised when Charlie smiled at her, leaning towards her and kissing her.

"He said I was one lucky bloke. Bill's uneasy with our situation, but he has faith that we'll do right by our child, no matter what happens with our relationship." Hermione smiled at Charlie's words. She had a feeling Bill's closet reassurance was the only thing keeping Charlie from running. Well, that, and the marriage law.

"Bill also said to give the twins some time and they'll come around."

"Do you want me to offer to come up with a new product for them?" Hermione suggested, raising an eyebrow in question. He laughed at her, quickly kissing her. The twins were constantly harassing Hermione, desperate for her help to create some kind of groundbreaking product for their joke shop.

Hermione decided she'd pressed her luck as it was. She didn't want to badger Charlie into spilling his thoughts on more than what he wanted to. So she let the twin discussion dissipate.

"Do you ever wonder what it was like, Hermione?" Charlie suddenly asked, his blue eyes staring into her muddy brown ones. She searched his face for clue before asking.

"What are you referring to, Charlie?"

"Sex." The simple word made Hermione want him. She was still straddling his strong body. She wanted him, and the fire from her tattoo was stronger than it had ever been.

"Hot," Hermione whispered, her mouth brushing against his earlobe as she spoke. "It was hot."

After spending some time searching her memory for anything from those recklessly delicious hours, she'd remembered more than she thought she did. Hermione remembered cautious way he'd asked her if that night would be her first, followed by his shocked but pleased reaction when she answered him.

Charlie stood and the sudden motion pushed Hermione into wrapping her legs around his waist. He lowered them to the bed so Hermione's back was against his crimson bedding, her head on his single pillow. He kissed her deeply, his hips pushing into hers. Hermione gasped at the contact, arching up for more.

Charlie's calloused hand was snaking up underneath her shirt. Hermione shivered at the friction as her hands reached for the bottom of her t-shirt. He pressed open-mouthed kisses across her jaw. They broke contact for the brief second it took her to pull off her shirt and throw it away from them.

"My belly is huge," Hermione whispered, staring into Charlie's eyes as he looked down at her. Sadly, she realized it would only get bigger until the baby was born.

"You're beautiful, baby." Charlie smiled successfully as he finally managed to unclasp her bra. Hermione fought the urge to laugh. Surely a wizard that tamed dragons could tackle removing a simple lace bra.

* * *

Hermione woke up alone in Charlie's bed. She loved the way her naked body felt against the sheets. She felt beautiful.

Where was her boyfriend? That was how they had last defined their relationship, even though she knew they would soon have to upgrade to engaged. She'd blocked the thought from her memory, as it was just stressful. She had a wedding to plan, and an engagement to announce. Well, that last part would have to wait until Charlie proposed to her. Again.

Hermione sat up in bed suddenly, forgetting to grab a sheet to cover herself with.

Hermione suspiciously looked around Charlie's rooms looking for signs of his whereabouts. It was Saturday, so she knew he wasn't downstairs in a lecture. She froze when she heard noise coming from the bathroom. She certainly hoped it was Charlie, and not some Dark Wizard out for revenge.

She got out of his bed and grabbed the nearest article of clothing she saw. Which just happened to be one of Charlie's worn out Quidditch jerseys. As Hermione walked closer to the bathroom, she smiled when she heard singing.

Hermione pressed her ear to the bathroom door and heard nothing but the noise of the shower spray. She struggled to contain her laughter when she suddenly heard Charlie's distinct voice belting out the Temptation's hit _My Girl_. The noise stopped suddenly, and Hermione glanced at the clock beside his bed. It was nearly time for breakfast in the Great Hall.

She yelped in surprised when Charlie's wet body slammed into hers. The two fell to the ground in a mess of tangled arms and legs. Hermione knew he'd made sure his arms protected her head from the impact. Hermione grinned up into his clear blue eyes.

"Morning, witch." Charlie grinned, pressing an open-mouth kissed in the corner where her neck met her shoulders. She shivered and kissed his cheek.

"You're in a good mood," Hermione said, in a deliberately suspicious tone. He raised an eyebrow at her before responding. His hips pressed into hers as he answered.

"I have a good reason to be happy."

"Oh?" Hermione asked, smiling up at him. Charlie carefully removed his arm from behind her head and readjusted himself so his palms were on the floor beside her head with his body flush against hers.

"Well, I shagged the woman I've been dreaming about for years and I actually remember all of it," Charlie full out smiled, and the smile nearly took Hermione's breath away. Merlin, he was handsome when he smiled like that.

Charlie glanced at the clock and muttered something about being late for breakfast. He got off of her and hurried towards his closet.

Hermione's eyes followed his movements, and she gasped when she saw the angry lines down his back. Those were certainly from her nails.

"Charlie, your back!" Hermione exclaimed, mentally going through her list of balms. Something had to lessen the sting of scrapes like that.

Charlie was in the process of pulling on a pair of jeans as he stared at her. He smirked at her as he fastened the buttons and he noticed her gaze was following his movements.

"Who knew you'd be such a wildcat in bed." He shrugged into a replicated t-shirt version of his Quidditch jersey. He slid on a black button down shirt and rolled his sleeves up to his elbows. He was putting in more effort into his appearance than usual. They had plans to go to her parent's after the Quidditch game. It'd been too long since she broke the news to her parents. The letters her parents sent always asked when they'd finally meet Charlie. Today was the day.

* * *

Hermione sat across from Ginny and Harry, with Ron on her right side and Neville on her left. Ron immediately seemed less animated and talkative as she'd sat down next to him.

Ginny was staring at her with a suspicious glint in her eyes.

"Morning, 'Mione." Harry greeted her. He then focused on Ron, starting up a conversation about the Irish/Bulgaria game that was happening this afternoon. Charlie was planning on sitting with the Irish team's executives. He had asked Hermione if she wanted to go, but she'd graciously declined.

"I reckon Charlie's got the best seats for the game today," Ron muttered, sounding disappointed. Charlie might have asked Ron to go with him if Ron would stop acting like an idiot.

"He's sitting with the Irish executives," Hermione informed them. She tried to avoid Ginny's gaze, for the redheaded witch was still staring at her. It was starting to bother Hermione, but she thought it best to ignore it.

"Are you going?" Harry asked her, munching on a piece of toast slathered in some kind of red jelly.

"Of course," Hermione responded, not recognizing that she'd lied until it was out there. She focused on her eggs to hash browns ratio, stabbing her fork into potatoes and fluffy yellow eggs.

It seemed that her white lie is what broke Ginny's ever-present curiosity. Ginny leaned towards Hermione, her shirt almost falling into syrup from her pancakes.

"You shagged my brother," Ginny whispered, her eyes wide with surprise. Harry looked up from his meal, startled. There was a distinct blush forming on his cheeks. Ron dropped his fork with a clatter and immediately turned rigid. He groaned, his head falling into his hand for support.

"Ginny, I'm eating," Ron moaned. Hermione noticed his fist was clenched as it rested on the tabletop.

Hermione shrugged, as if it wasn't a big deal. Inside, though, she was screaming excitedly and jumping up and down.

"We can talk about it later," Hermione suggested, silently pleading with Ginny to accept that for now. She didn't want to have this conversation, and the questions Ginny was bound to ask. It would be especially awkward around Ron.

"Good idea, Hermione," Harry said, smiling at her. Hermione smiled back because now Ginny had no choice but to wait. The witch grumbled in response, but angrily stabbed her innocent pancake.

Hermione borrowed a piece of paper and quill from Neville, who looked very confused. Hermione understood his confusion, because Lavender was currently feeling his bicep and making appreciative noises.

_I changed my mind. I'm coming with you. _

Hermione didn't bother signing her message. Charlie would surely recognize her script. She saved Neville by asking him to deliver her message to Professor Weasley, and her friend looked grateful for the excuse to escape.

* * *

Hermione noticed the way people were trying not to stare at them. But Hermione knew it was a combination of her status as Harry Potter's Best Friend and Charlie's legacy as a Quidditch star. She followed his career closely enough to know that the Irish team had been sad to see him go, even going so far as to beg him to stay.

They were seated in seats at the very top of the arena. Their box was filled with Irish managers and people that ran the team. The only persons needed on the field were the referee and the Mediwitch team.

"Charlie!" A loud voice boomed near them, pleasure in his voice. Hermione kept her eyes on the field but she smiled briefly at the muscular man next to Charlie.

"Coach! How's our defense?" Charlie asked, and Hermione knew that Charlie was smiling. Charlie had stood up when the man had noticed them, and the men were currently standing behind Hermione's seat.

"Pretty damn good, Weasley. All we've got to do is block Krum." When Hermione lied about going to the game, she'd forgotten that it they were playing Bulgaria. That was the whole reason she had originally declined. She hadn't wanted an awkward confrontation between her and Viktor, or between Charlie and Viktor.

Hermione felt Charlie's hand on her shoulder, so she turned around and smiled at the coach.

"Coach, have you met my girlfriend, Hermione Granger?" Charlie introduced her to the blonde haired man.

Hermione glanced at him in surprise before smiling at the coach. They were dropping that sort of label in introductions now? Hermione could already see the tabloids in tomorrow's _Prophet._

"Ah, it's a pleasure, Ms. Granger. Everyone outside the team calls me Jonah." Coach said, sticking out his hand for her to shake.

"Please, Jonah, call me Hermione. I'm too young to be a Ms." Hermione smiled at Jonah.

"You and Charlie will have to come down with me at the end of the game to accept the trophy!"

"Or give it away," Charlie added, but with a joking tone to his deep voice. The teams were friendly rivals, and the winner of their matches kept the trophy until they gave it up by losing a match.

* * *

While Charlie was zeroed on the game, Hermione was having an inner battle with her own thoughts. She should be proud he felt comfortable enough with their relationship to announce it to the rest of the Wizarding world. But she wondered if it was just a coincidence he'd introduced her as his girlfriend the day after they'd shagged.

Hermione decided it was just because this was their first outing in this kind of social setting since the Marriage Law. It was also the first time they'd been in a social setting since they'd told Charlie's family.

The game was momentarily paused as a Mediwitch checked one of Bulgaria's beaters injuries. Hermione hadn't been paying attention when the player was injured.

She put her hand on Charlie's arm, leaning into his side as she looked up at him. Charlie grinned at her before kissing the top of her head.

"When we go down with the trophy, make sure they don't announce us as boyfriend and girlfriend," Hermione whispered, her lips seductively close to Charlie's ear. He turned to face her, surprise clearly on his features.

"I'm done hiding, Hermione. The population of Hogwarts doesn't need a personal announcement. McGonagall's prepared to deal with the fall out. I haven't graded your papers in weeks anyway."

Hermione was secretly turning in her assignments for Charlie's class into the Headmistress. Charlie kept the older woman updated on his lectures anyway, and it made sense to have someone else grade her papers. He was clearly biased in Hermione's favor.

The game resumed and Hermione immediately lost Charlie's attention. The crowd burst into cheers as both Seekers were zooming in the same direction. The pair was dangerously close to the stands of the arena.

Hermione sat perfectly still as she watched Viktor and the other seeker fly closer and closer to her. Charlie had a huge grin on his face, as if this was the best moment of the entire game.

Viktor and Ireland's seeker were right in front of Hermione and Charlie's seats. She could probably reach out and touch them if she wanted to. Hermione knew Viktor noticed her, for his head slightly turned towards her and his eyes sparkled in recognition. It was the same moment Viktor seeker grasped the Snitch, his broom slowing to a halt as he held up the Snitch for all to see.

Charlie swore, moaning in disappointment with his eyes closed. He didn't notice his girlfriend was staring at Viktor Krum, or that Viktor was staring back at his girlfriend.

* * *

After the players flew down to the ground, Hermione and Charlie Apparated to the side of the field.

Hermione was holding the gaudy gold trophy in her arm like it was a child as she and Charlie walked towards the center of the pitch, where both teams were waiting for them. The arena started cheering when they recognized Hermione and Charlie.

The announcer stood waiting for them, shaking their hands as they made it to the center of the pitch.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome esteemed guests Charlie Weasley and Hermione Granger. You might recognize Hermione Granger because she's part of the Trio that saved our world. Thank you, sweetheart. Mr. Weasley, however, spent a year with the Irish! Now, I don't know how we got so lucky to have both celebrities at the match today, but they're here to present the trophy to the winners of today's match, THE IRSH!" Hermione grinned as the cheering for Charlie was much louder than when the announcer had introduced her.

The announcer reminded Hermione a lot of Lee. Hermione felt self-conscious as she stood next to Charlie. Needing his confident reassurance, Hermione's hand found Charlie's, even as thousands of fans watched them in the arena.

Hermione tried to ignore Viktor's heated gaze on her as she blocked out what the announcer was saying. He was talking about the history of the match and how many times each team has won the match.

She snuck a glance at Charlie, and noticed he was practically glaring at Viktor. The hand not holding her hand was clenched in a fist, much like Ron's had been at breakfast. His jaw was set in angry determination.

"Charlie," Hermione whispered, tugging on his arm like a toddler would do to get his mother's attention. She didn't know how else to get Charlie's attention. That didn't work. Charlie and Viktor were still caught in a silent pissing contest. Hermione detested these battles of male dominance.

"Ms. Granger, sweetheart, if you would please present the trophy to Mr. Krum." Hermione smiled politely as she held the trophy in two hands and stepped towards Viktor. She held Viktor's gaze as she held out the trophy and his warm hands brushed hers as he accepted it from her. He leaned in and suddenly kissed Hermione's cheek before pulling away.

Did Charlie just growl? She was sure Bill was the only werewolf in the Weasley family.

Hermione desperately hoped the announcer noticed the tension and sped up the awards ceremony. Viktor was starting to look a little uncomfortable and a lot defensive.

Thankfully, the ceremony ended fast and without physical confrontation between Charlie and Viktor.

* * *

"I don't like Krum," Charlie muttered as they walked up the walk to her parent's front door. They had Apparated straight from the arena to Hermione's Portkey in her Muggle neighborhood.

Hermione looked at her small house and smiled when she noticed the curtains flutter back into place. Her mother had been watching for them from the window. The door opened before they reached the step.

"'Mione!" Hermione let go of Charlie's hand and hurried to step into her mother's waiting embrace. She'd missed her mum, especially with her pregnancy. She suddenly wanted to tell her parents about their baby, and she even had the sonogram in her pocket.

It was then she realized Charlie had yet to see a picture of his own child. Hermione heard swearing from inside the house and knew there was a football game on somewhere, and it wasn't going the way her father would have liked.

"So, dear, is this your Charlie?" Hermione's mum asked before she reached out for one of Charlie's hands.

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Granger." Hermione could have sworn her mother blushed at Charlie's innocent words.

"Come in, come in! We've been waiting for you. Not that you're late, we're just excited to see our baby girl."

Hermione avoided eye-contact with her mother, knowing her mother would pick up on something if their eyes met. This was probably the most nervous Hermione had ever been in her entire life.

They stepped into the Granger's foyer, and Hermione looked up the staircase at the pictures of her growing up on the wall. Soon she would have pictures of her child growing up around her own house. It seemed almost unreal to Hermione.

* * *

"So, Charlie, what do you do for a living?" Dean Granger asked from the head of the table. Hermione and Charlie were seated across from each other, with Jane Granger opposite her husband.

"Well, sir. It's all rather complicated." Hermione tuned Charlie out as he answered her father's question. She reached for the salad bowl, piling more greens onto her plate. Then she reached for the beef and took another helping. Hermione felt eyes on her and looked up, making eye contact with her mother.

"Charlie, dear, what does your family think about this sudden news? If you don't mind my asking," Hermione's mum asked, glancing at Hermione again before smiling at Charlie. Charlie looked at Hermione for guidance, but she simply shrugged.

"My parents were surprised but they're relieved they get to officially consider Hermione a Weasley. She's always been a part of our family since she befriended Ron. Bill was surprised, but confident that we'd be fine. Ginny seemed pleased, but skeptical and supportive." Charlie's blue eyes were trained on her mother and a reassuring smile was on his face.

"Do you have twin brothers, too? There're so many of you it's hard for an old lady like me to keep track," Jane Granger grinned at Charlie, sipping her wine.

"I do, Fred and George. They can be a bit of a handful." Hermione thought that Charlie's words were the understatement of the century.

"How did they react?" Dean Granger asked, raising an eyebrow in question. Hermione knew her father realized that Charlie had been avoiding sharing the twin's reactions with them. He also hadn't told them Percy's reaction, but Hermione knew that decision was for the best. That wouldn't turn out in anybody's favor. Everyone would only get hurt.

"They were... well, they were upset. The law has a couple loops that can change the situation. But our—er, circumstances mean that the Ministry expects us to remain married for the rest of our lives. They thought we wouldn't be able to handle that kind of commitment to each other. Other couples could divorce after two years, if the marriage fails and there isn't a child. "

"So your unusual circumstances didn't sit well with your brothers?" Dean asked, sympathy in his eyes. Ron had certainly never gotten that kind of support from her dad.

"No," Charlie nearly whispered. Hermione almost didn't hear him. He glanced down at the table, breaking eye contact with Hermione's dad.

"They told him they were surprised their parents hadn't yet disowned him for taking advantage of me. They also implied that Charlie's actions meant that they were no longer brothers."

Hermione still couldn't believe the twins were acting like imbeciles. She was expecting this kind of behavior from Ron, but not from easy going Fred and George.

"Well, Charlie, as long as you treat our daughter with respect, you have a place in our hearts and in our home." Hermione smiled at her dad's uncharacteristic generosity. That sounded like something her mum would say. Hermione looked at her mother, and the woman had a huge smile on her face.

* * *

Later that night Hermione snuggled into Charlie's warm embrace. She had given into his pleading insisting that she spent the night with him.

"Your parents are kind, Hermione." Charlie whispered, kissing the top of her head.

"They weren't that generous with Ron," Hermione admitted. "Dad hated Ron and I think he secretly hoped I'd end up with Harry instead." Charlie chuckled in response as he caressed her arm.

"I can't believe the twins are so angry with me for getting you pregnant. They wouldn't be so angry if you were carrying Ron's child." Charlie muttered, a nasty tone to his voice.

It was the first time Charlie had brought up the twins reaction in private. Hermione stopped the mental calculation she'd been keeping in her head since they'd angrily left the apartment.

"They were just surprised, Charlie. They'll change their minds. We just have to prove them wrong." Hermione agreed with Bill's opinion, and she was always determined to prove herself.

"They said I was irresponsible, Hermione. Obviously they haven't met themselves," Charlie bitterly said. It wasn't as if Charlie had knocked her up and then left her to fend for herself. They didn't have much of a choice with anything these days, though. Without the law, who knows how Hermione would be handling this pregnancy.

"Fred looked at me like he didn't know me as George ranted about how I'd abused Ron's trust." Hermione kissed Charlie before she moved Charlie's arm from around her shoulders and left the bed to get her jeans. She hadn't even taken the sonogram out of her pocket at her parent's. house She didn't want to overwhelm her parents with sudden information.

She smiled at Charlie when she turned and noticed he was watching her.

"What've you got there, baby?"

Hermione crawled back into bed with the paper in her hand in a way so Charlie couldn't see what the picture was. She leaned into him again, resting her head on his bare chest. She kissed the tattoo that her head was partially covering. She hadn't known until last night that he also had a tattoo of a Hungarian Horntail. There were several scars and burn marks across his chest. His dragon tooth necklace was resting against his skin, too. He looked more rugged now than he did with his shirt on.

"The first time I went to the doctor they took a picture of the baby growing inside of me. I asked for a copy so I'd have proof that I was pregnant. But whenever I'm doubting myself, or stumbling with the pregnancy or our relationship, or just plain upset, I take out the sonogram and look at our baby until I feel better."

Hermione's confession sounded weird even to her. She'd often snuck off to her room to sneak glances at the picture and eventually it had become comforting for her. She unfolded the creased picture carefully and held it so Charlie could see.

"This is our baby?" Charlie asked, a soft tone to his voice that Hermione hadn't heard before.

"We made that baby, Charlie."

"It looks like a peanut. Actually, it looks like a bean. Merlin, I don't like calling our baby an it." Charlie's words made Hermione smile. Her instincts were telling her that Charlie was going to be a wonderful father.

"Well, we shouldn't attach pronouns to it because we don't know if it's a boy or girl yet. And that way we won't be disappointed if it's turns out to be the opposite of what we've been calling it," Hermione reasoned as she stared at the picture.

"Bean." Charlie stated in a tone that suggested he'd solved their problem. "Let's call our baby Bean."

* * *

an: Why do Fred & George gotta be so mean? (tswift, anyone?) And did anyone pick up on the last chapter's title reference? (hint: American tv show) This chapter is longer, but I struggled to break it up so I just left it as is. A lot happened this time around. Also, do you think it's too late to write in Charlie's perspective, or should I stick with Hermione's? Lemme know in a review! Thanks for reviewing so far, you guys are the best. :D OH, and it's summer so it won't be so long between updates.


	12. The Reaction

Hermione woke up to an incessant banging noise. She groaned and moved closer to Charlie's warm body. She heard him curse in annoyance as he tightened his hold on her.

She opened her eyes when he got out of the bed moments later. The banging had only gotten louder.

"I'm coming!" Charlie yelled, pulling jeans over his boxers. Hermione had giggled when she noticed there were Snitches all over the fabric. Charlie's yelling hadn't appeased the person on the other side of the door. Charlie gave up looking for his shirt and went to the door.

"What the hell is so important?" Charlie snapped as he opened the door. From her spot in his bed Hermione couldn't see who was at the door.

"Rita Skeeter is in my office, and I can't get rid of her." Hermione froze when she recognized the Headmistress's voice. Careful to shield herself from view, Hermione dressed hurriedly. She _despised_ that bloody excuse for a reporter. She'd thought she had put Skeeter in place once, but it looked like she'd have to do it again.

"Has she been here long?" Charlie asked, but his tone suggested he didn't care at all.

"It's almost been an hour since she darkened my doorstep. You would think she would appreciate a lazy Sunday morning, but we're mistaken."

Hermione would have paid money to see McGonagall's reaction to Skeeter's early arrival. The nasty reporter probably just hoped to catch everyone off guard.

"Hermione isn't in her room. I was hoping she'd be with you."

Charlie nodded at McGonagall before opening the door wider, revealing Hermione's presence in the room.

"Good morning, Hermione. I didn't use the fireplace because I didn't want to interrupt anything." Hermione and Charlie exchanged an awkward glance before McGonagall continued.

"I think it's in our best interests to give her something. We can clear the air about your student-teacher relationship, or lack thereof. It'll stop the rumor mill from spreading lies about the quality of a Hogwarts education," McGonagall reasoned, making eye contact with both Hermione and Charlie as she spoke. Charlie stood with his arms crossed and his face revealed anger.

Charlie looked at her as if he was checking to see if she had some instantaneous reaction to McGonagall's suggestion before he spoke.

"I know Hermione's history with this woman has been less than pleasant. But I think it we should talk to Skeeter now as opposed to _later_." Charlie's stress on later had heavy meaning to Hermione, but McGonagall nodded as if she knew exactly what Charlie was talking about. He wanted to talk to her now instead of after their baby was born, or even after the news broke about her pregnancy.

* * *

This was not how Hermione pictured her Sunday. She had planned to spend a good part of her day in the library for two reasons.

One, she could do a little research on the tattoos that were binding Hermione and Charlie. She wanted to be prepared just in case the magic behind their tattoos was dark. Two, she missed walls lined with books and shelves and shelves of books in all sizes, colors, and shapes. Hermione also missed the smell of the library, and the way she felt when she was researching something important to her. Instead of researching, say, the history of the Muggle telephone for her Muggle Studies class.

However, she was pretending to listen to McGonagall fight out a compromise with Skeeter. Hermione couldn't look at the woman and not picture a beetle. She grinned as she remembered what she'd done to Skeeter back in her fourth year.

Why did this woman enjoy making Hermione's life miserable?

"Hermione." Charlie's voice disturbed Hermione's thoughts. He tugged on her arm to get her attention and he was still tugging on it when she looked at him. Hermione and Skeeter were seated in chairs in front of McGonagall's desk, but Charlie had been leaning against the wall closest to Hermione. He resumed his leaning position when he'd captured her focus.

"Hermione, I've drafted a contact for you, Charlie, and Ms. Skeeter to sign." McGonagall handed Hermione an official piece of paper that was strictly used for Hogwarts business. This was the paper they'd sent used for all of their important mailing, inter-castle or otherwise. The paper meant business, and when it was signed it was automatically a legally binding contract.

The contract stated that:

_ 1) Ms. Skeeter will use a normal Quill that only records direct quotes from Ms. Granger and Mr. C. Weasley. This will be an entirely truthful interview for everyone involved, including Hogwarts. _

2) _Ms. Skeeter will be allowed a photo shoot, but the photos taken will not be altered._

_ 3) The Prophet will not publish anything further about Mr. C. Weasley and Ms. Granger's relationship besides this article. _

_ i. The Prophet will not encourage, respond to, or publish reader responses to Mr. C. Weasley and Ms. Granger's relationship. _

_ 4) Ms. Skeeter will be granted an allotted time of two hours to conduct this interview, including the photo shoot. _

_ 5) All parties involved will remain professional during this exchange. _

Hermione read the contract over twice and racked her brain for anything she thought they should add, or at least discuss.

* * *

They had decided that the best place to hold the interview was the Room of Requirement. They wouldn't be disturbed and nobody would know they were there.

Hermione and Charlie were seated on a crimson loveseat and Skeeter was perched on an elegant armchair chair in front of them. A timer was set to alert them when their two hours were up. Well, at least this wouldn't waste all of Hermione's precious Sunday.

"_The Prophet_ released an article today focused on your attendance at the Ireland vs. Bulgaria Quidditch match. Have you seen the article?"

Hermione felt Charlie stiffen besides her, and she could have sworn he growled again. Hermione glanced at him worriedly before addressing Skeeter.

"You agreed to publish _one _article about us," Hermione accused, glaring at Skeeter and not bothering to hide the intensity of her hate for the woman.

"The article was published _before_ I agreed to that condition on behalf of the _Prophet, _dear. Surely a smart witch like you can follow that logic."

* * *

Hermione patiently answered Skeeter's ridiculous questions.

Nobody cared what stupid type of underwear Charlie wore. Well, except for Hermione, but she already knew the answer to that question, didn't she?

She sighed in relief when Skeeter suggested they move on to the photos. She'd no longer have to answer this woman's ridiculously simple questions.

Hermione glared at Skeeter when the reporter waved her wand in Hermione's direction. Hermione was wearing darker washed blue jeans with a crimson colored lace sleeveless top. It was the type of outfit Hermione would have worn to a pub. Hermione looked at her feet and discovered she was now wearing red stiletto heels. They were shoes Hermione never would have picked out for herself. She knew Skeeter had performed a makeup charm, and the Room of Requirement felt Hermione's need for a mirror. One appeared in Hermione's hand as Skeeter decided what she wanted Charlie to look like.

Hermione had heavy eye-shadow and noticeable eyeliner. Her eyelashes looked longer than usual, meaning Skeeter must have charmed mascara on Hermione. Her hair was still wavy but much less frizzy. Hermione's hair looked surprisingly flattering and tame for the amount of work Skeeter had put into Hermione's appearance. It usually took Hermione hours to force her hair to behave even a little bit.

Charlie made a noise of protest as Skeeter decided what she wanted. She'd stood there staring at him with her arm's crossed.

"That's ridiculous." Charlie insisted, crossing his arms in determination.

"Charlie, you're an attractive man. We'll get more readers and therefore more money if you're shirtless." Skeeter noticed Hermione was listening to their argument and sent her a look that asked for help.

"I'm a _professor_. I have to act with at least an ounce of decency," Charlie nearly yelled. Hermione heard his hide-and-seek Irish accent. It wasn't there unless you made him mad, or, as Hermione had discovered last night, aroused.

Skeeter looked taken aback by his outburst, but Hermione was willing to bet it was just Charlie's accent. She was also sure other strong wizards had yelled at Skeeter before, too.

"I have a compromise, if anyone's willing to listen." Hermione said, raising her voice to be heard. Both Skeeter and Charlie stopped glaring at each other long enough to turn their heads in Hermione's direction. She made sure to smile innocently before continuing.

"If Charlie wears a button down shirt, then you have several options." She paused before she continued, wondering if Skeeter would pick up on Hermione's logic.

"That's a fabulous idea, Ms. Granger!" Skeeter gushed, grinning at Hermione.

Instantly, Charlie's Quidditch shirt morphed into a blue button down that was the exact color of his eyes.

Skeeter was apparently a trained photographer, based on the way she was putting Hermione and Charlie into position. Hermione hated to recognize that the woman had a talented eye.

Charlie's shirt was currently off and he practically looked like a model. Skeeter had said he was one of the most smoldering men she'd ever photographed. Hermione noted that Skeeter didn't say anything about Hermione's appearance.

"The two hours are almost up," Charlie whispered, leaning in close and grinning at Hermione. They were just about to kiss when Skeeter snapped what would be her last picture of them.

* * *

Hermione had successfully made it to the library without anyone stopping her to question her about their 'new' relationship. She could tell people were whispering about her, though. But then again people were always whispering about her because she was Harry Potter's Best Friend.

She had gone to the Restricted Section first, assuming the most valuable information would be the kind that was off limits.

Hermione refrained from squealing excitedly when she came across a book only on marriage tattoos. She migrated back to her favorite couch before opening the book. Her favorite spot was a secluded section of the library, meaning people couldn't spy on her and figure out she was researching the forbidden topics.

* * *

Charlie and Hermione had met up in his dungeons before dinner to get their story straight. Headmistress had suggested that Charlie speak, as most students respected him. Even a few of the Slytherins admired him.

They'd managed to snag a copy of today's _Prophet. _The majority of the news today was about Hermione and Charlie. The article speculating the specifics of their relationship was absurd. Charlie planned on squishing some of the rumors started by the _Prophet_ in his speech at dinner.

Hermione was surprised at the moments the newspaper had captured. There was a picture of Hermione and Charlie in their box seats. Hermione was whispering in his ear. There was barely any space between her mouth and his ear, and the whole thing looked more seductive than it actually was.

The next picture was a composite of her most recent Hogwarts picture and Charlie's Quidditch picture. There were a couple pictures of Hermione with other men, or boys, rather. A picture of Hermione and Viktor at the Yule Ball was one of the larger pictures on the page. The other picture was of Hermione and Ron, a candid picture of them at some event Hermione couldn't remember clearly. They were intimately dancing and kissing in the picture.

Hermione was sure the _Prophet _had chose that picture over millions of others they had of Hermione and Ron together. This picture was unique because Charlie was also

in the picture. He was leaning against a wall with Mrs. Weasley, who was obviously upset about something. Charlie's intense gaze was focused on Hermione and Ron's dancing. In the picture, Mrs. Weasley was throwing glances at Hermione's back as Charlie obviously sulked.

When had that picture been taken? It was a picture from at least last year. Charlie wouldn't have been at the event if he had still been living in Romania. She looked for a caption accompanying the picture, but there wasn't much explanation.

_Charlie and Hermione's romantic tension. Late July._

* * *

"I hate all this ridiculous drama," Charlie muttered. They were en route to the Great Hall. Everyone they passed stopped to stare at them. The boys merely stared, but the girls gossiped the moment they passed.

"You get used to it," Hermione replied, honestly. She was used to the crowd of speculation over her head whenever the stupid newspaper released a new article about her, Harry, or Ron.

"I'm used to being in the papers, but never about my personal life. That's new since we've been together," Charlie said, with a side glance at her.

"Must be the price you pay when you're dating Hermione Granger." Hermione said, frowning at him. He pulled her to a stop in the middle of the hallway. Charlie had a serious look on his face.

"Don't ever think I regret us, Hermione Jane," Charlie whispered, leaning towards her so their faces were almost touching. Hermione smiled and closed the distance between them. They stood there, wrapped in an embrace for several moments before someone bumped into them. Hermione looked behind her and saw the back of Ron's head as he walked towards the Great Hall.

* * *

Hermione, Charlie and McGonagall were all rather tense during dinner. Hermione knew Charlie and the Headmistress intended to give speeches regarding Hermione and Charlie's relationship.

The Hall silenced as McGonagall stood at the Head Table. She had commanded their full attention wordlessly.

"I'm sure you've all seen the _Prophet_ by now. I was informed about Ms. Granger and Professor Weasley's new relationship a month ago. Since then, Ms. Granger has been turning in her Defense Against the Dark Arts homework in to my office for grading. Her work is held to the same standards as yours, regardless of her connections to Professor Weasley. Please be assured that Hogwarts has reacted to this development in a timely and professional manner, with the interests of your education in mind. The integrity of your education has not been compromised. If you or your parents are alarmed, please make an appointment to visit with me. We are willing to listen to your opinions and to try our best to accommodate them. With that, Professor Weasley has a few things he'd like to say."

Headmistress McGonagall sat down, and Charlie stood from his spot at the table. Hermione looked at her Professors, and noticed that not one of them seemed uncomfortable or doubtful.

"Hermione and I tried to prevent this relationship from happening. She loved my brother Ron, and I would soon be her Professor. But we couldn't stay away from each other and keep our sanity at the same time. I would explain our situation further but I'm a little afraid the Ministry would lock me up in Azkaban if I did. While our relationship was unexpected, Hermione has quickly turned out to be the best thing that's ever happened to me." Charlie paused in his speech and focused on Hermione. Hermione knew she was smiling from ear to ear as her eyes were focused on Charlie. She couldn't resist.

"With that said, I'm going to tell you all a little secret. You heard it here first. I'm going to ask Hermione Jane Granger to marry me. I haven't quite narrowed down the specifics of it yet, but I have a plan that's going to bring Hermione to her knees."

He paused as he considered what he'd said, with a determined smirk on his face. Whispers broke out when he announced his plan, but they quieted to hear what he still had to say.

"Sorry, Hermione baby, I didn't mean that to be taken sexually. Hermione's not going to be able to resist my charm and Weasley wit. Now you won't be surprised when the other shoe drops. Enjoy dinner."

* * *

Hermione let Charlie walk her back to her dorm. She waited for him to kiss her goodnight, but all he did was a lingering kiss on her cheek. Hermione watched him go in confusion. When he was out of sight, she retreated into the solitude of her Head Girl room.

The Great Hall had suddenly burst into cheers. They went about dinner from then on as if nothing had happened. It was such an unrealistic reaction, that Hermione could hardly believe it.

"Way to stick it to the Ministry," Seamus hollered at Hermione and Charlie as they'd walked back to the tower.

Back in her room, Hermione realized they viewed her relationship with Charlie as rebellion. Their relationship was unorthodox, and would not have been tolerated without the Marriage Law. The Ministry's fancy new law was suddenly blowing up in their face. Or at least that's what her peers thought.

Harry let himself in her room and met her on the bed.

"How are you holding up?" Harry asked, smiling a sad smile.

"I'm a little confused, which is the worst feeling in the world. I'm happy, though. How's Ginny? I haven't checked in with her in a while." Hermione admitted, wrapping her favorite blanket around her.

"Ginny's all right. She's having trouble with morning sickness, which I read is pretty normal for her at this point."

"Do you know the baby's sex yet, Harry?" Hermione asked, slightly curious. They had a doctors appointment next weekend to find out the sex of their own baby.

"Yeah. We're having a boy," Harry answered, a huge smile suddenly lighting up his face. His emerald eyes shined with delight and excitement.

"You're going to be a great Dad, Harry."

Harry mumbled an embarrassed thanks before focusing the discussion on Hermione. They talked for hours. For the first time in their friendship, Harry spent the night in his own bed after a talk like they'd had.

* * *

an: So... this chapter didn't quite turn out how I wanted it to, but it's pretty close. From your responses, I think I'm gonna have the epilogue be from Charlie's POV. :) Thanks for the feedback, and keep it comin'.


	13. Contradictions

The week that passed was nothing less than frazzled. Hermione went to classes and collected more detailed research. Charlie taught classes and scowled at anyone who dared comment on their relationship. He'd offer them one of his usual sarcastic comments before walking away. He almost reminded Hermione of Professor Snape in a good mood.

It was late on a Friday night, and Hermione was on her bed tying up the loose ends of her research. She actually had a lead, and it was one she was ready to share with Charlie.

Charlie was at Three Broomsticks with his old Quidditch pals. They'd had a night off, and they planned to celebrate their status as the first place team in the league, despite a couple poor games. Hermione hoped Charlie would be home in time for her appointment. He'd already made a poor first impression on her Muggle doctor.

* * *

"Hermione, baby! We're gonna be late."

Hermione was startled out of her sleep by Charlie's loud, accented voice. She groaned and buried her face in her pillow, closing her eyes and hoping to block out the sunlight. She had stayed up far too late last night finishing her research. She felt the bed move under Charlie's weight.

"Five more minutes." Hermione begged as she opened one eye to look at him. He grinned down at her, a smirk on his handsome face.

"Sorry. A smart, sexy witch warned me I better not be late for our appointment." Hermione groaned as she heard him toss her own words back at her. She'd given him a stern lecture last night about being on time in the morning. And here he was, which surprised her a little. His Weasley genetics made him prone for lateness. Hermione adapted to this trait by telling him that the time they needed to be there by was actually earlier than it needed. And Hermione wanted her extra ten minutes of beauty sleep, dammit!

But she also didn't want to spill her secret weapon, so she dragged herself out of bed and started to pull pajamas tank top over her head. She wiggled out of her shorts, carefully folding both items on top of her dresser. She bent over to reach a new set of matching underwear, as she silently contemplated her outfit. Sighing, Hermione pulled an old, comfortable cotton skirt out of a drawer, with a coordinating camisole. Hermione gathered the pile in her arms when she remembered Charlie's presence in the room. Hermione slowly turned around. She was ready to make a beeline to the bathroom because they couldn't be late for their appointment.

Hermione's eyes met Charlie's, and she was overwhelmed by the heat of desire in his blue eyes. His stoic face transformed into a slow smirk as he stared at her. She shifted the weight on her feet, willing herself to move, and fast.

"Maybe we can be five minutes late," Charlie suggested. His tone held a promise—she wouldn't be disappointed. Charlie's years of dragon keeping must come in handy in everyday life, because he was on his feet the second she sprinted for the bathroom. She made it into the small room before closing the door behind her with a quiet click.

Hermione knew she was going to be in trouble the moment she stepped out of the bathroom. She really needed to work on resisting Charlie's endless charm.

* * *

"I'm Hermione Granger," Hermione announced as she approached the secretary's desk. The brown haired woman sitting behind the desk looked up at her with startled eyes. Then she looked down at her schedule, using her finger to find Hermione's appointment time.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Granger. But you're twenty minutes late. We skip over appointments after they're five minutes late. That way we can stay on time for our other appointments." The secretary had an apologetic tone of voice, but her facial expression was anything but.

Hermione's eyes narrowed at the tiny woman. This woman obviously got her kicks from scolding those that were late to their appointments. Hermione would have never been treated this way in St. Mungos, especially not with Charlie Weasley at her side.

"Can I reschedule for another time?" Hermione asked, glancing at Charlie as she spoke to the secretary. He looked exceptionally uncomfortable. She looked around the waiting room and noticed he was the only man in the room.

The secretary glared at Hermione as she looked at the appointment schedule once again.

"The next available appointment is in a half hour. Would that be acceptable, Ms. Granger?"

Hermione agreed and took the paperwork the woman wordlessly handed her. She walked towards two empty chairs and Charlie followed, thanking the horrid secretary.

She took her time with the paperwork, knowing she had plenty of time to fill in the blanks. Hermione looked at the other women in the room, hoping she would never get as big as some of the poor, uncomfortable looking women in the room. Hermione's baby bump was easy enough for her to conceal with glamour, but soon, it would be too big for her to hide. That thought sent Hermione into a mental paranoia that distracted her from what was going on around her. She would either need to research possible potions or spells, and consider inventing a new one. Hermione suddenly understood that her secret pregnancy days were numbered. They'd have to tell the world eventually

After coming to terms with this realization, Hermione started to work on the paperwork. She was walking back from turning it in when she noticed something was off about Charlie's presence. She couldn't yet place her finger on the culprit, though.

She secretly hoped some former Death Eater hadn't made a Polyjuice Potion to disguise himself as Charlie. Although that would certainly explain Charlie's

"You alright?" Hermione asked him, just now realizing how tense was. He was sitting straight in his chair, staring at a spot on the floor. His hands were gripping the arms of the chair. He was gripping it so hard she thought he might snap the wood in half. She put her hand on his arm in an attempt to sooth him.

"They're all staring at me like a piece of meat, Hermione." Charlie whispered, his face turned towards her. Hermione smirked at him before answering.

"They probably just want your autograph, Charlie." He let out a sudden bark of laughter in response to her words. He leaned over and kissed her cheek before relaxing his position ever so slightly. Hermione turned her attention to a Muggle magazine, catching up on all of her favorite stars. It was an indulgence, one of Hermione's guilty pleasures.

Charlie's long fingers began to drum on the arms of his chair. His leg started to bounce up and down, and it was rubbing against Hermione's bare leg. He was muttering under his breath. It sort of sounded like a Potion's recipe to her, but she wasn't sure. She looked at him and realized what he was reciting.

He was listing his sibling's names, birthdays and ages, loud enough for Hermione to decipher his quiet words.

"Percy Ignatius Weasley. Born August 22, 1976—" He would have continued if Hermione had more patience.

"For Merlin's sake, Charlie. You're not having cold goo smeared all over _your_ stomach. And secondly, it was entirely _your_ fault we were late. If we had been _on time_ you wouldn't be sitting out here. We'd probably even be out of here by now, had we been on time." Hermione whispered with a serious tone to her voice. The boys and the twins were extremely familiar with this tone. They knew she meant business.

"What! That's an entirely false statement!" His voice had risen angrily, and he was only drawing more unwanted attention to himself. She rolled her eyes and ignored him as she focused her attention back on the Muggle magazine. She was halfway through it when she realized her name wasn't on any of the pages. She loved Muggle England.

"Hermione! _You_ seduced _me_." Charlie said, loud enough for the entire waiting room to hear. Why did he feel the need to cause scenes in this specific waiting room?

"Excuse me?" She asked, noting that her own voice was rising to an obnoxious level. She looked around the room and noticed mostly everyone was staring at them. Some were trying to be polite by obviously diverting their attention. The secretary was pointedly glaring at them.

"You're the one who undressed in front of me! What was I supposed to do? Just stand there and act uninterested? Then I'd be _Percy." _Charlie shuddered at his words and the tone in his voice suggested this was all obvious.

Hermione closed her eyes and slowly counted to ten. She opened her eyes when she felt Charlie's familiar lips press against her own. They closed again when she felt his hand on her cheek, and she instantly relaxed in his embrace. Charlie deepened the kiss, already gaining control over her. She felt his warm hand on her naked knee. She'd stupidly worn a loose fitting skirt to the appointment, figuring it'd be easy to take on and off. Her outfit only choice gave Charlie easy access. She made a mental note in her head for future outings. Skirts were bad. Actually, maybe she should start wearing more skirts.

He slid his hand between her legs, pausing halfway up her inner thigh. One of Hermione's hands was grasping his hair, the other clutched at his shirt. He bit her lip, but only hard enough to tease her. Charlie pulled away from her and stared at into her eyes, a mischievous smile on his face. She stared back, her breathing faster than normal.

"Ms. Granger?" The annoyed secretary broke the trance, pulling Hermione back into reality. Right. They were in a waiting room filled with other people.

"Excuse our poor behavior, please. Charlie has a way of making me forget we're in public sometimes."

The other witches in the room laughed, but suddenly they were the ones looking uncomfortable.

* * *

The doctor's examining room was painted a pale yellow color, with friendly pictures all over the wall.

Hermione endured all of the doctor's usual questions. Charlie was making her nervous. She decided he was just a bundle of nerves because he was in an unfamiliar Muggle environment.

The doctor prepared Hermione for the sonogram. Charlie was seated in a chair he'd pulled right up to the side of Hermione's bed. Her hand was in his, and she was rubbing her thumb in a pattern on the back of his hand in an attempt to calm him down.

She suddenly heard the quiet ba-thump of their baby's heartbeat. A noise so quiet it was deafening. Charlie's grasp on her hand tightened and she knew he heard it, too.

"Hi, Bean," Charlie stated quietly, the words bringing tears to Hermione's eyes. She looked at him and smiled, pulling him towards her for a brief kiss.

The doctor must not have heard him, as she started talking about the baby's good health.

"Do you two want to know the sex of your baby?"

Hermione and Charlie looked at each other for confirmation before answering. They hadn't discussed this prior to the appointment.

Hermione wanted to do things the old-fashioned way, which was part of the reason why she was using a Muggle Doctor instead of a witch at St. Mungo's. Her own parents hadn't known that she was going to be a girl until she was born, too.

"No," Hermione said with a firm tone to her voice as Charlie said, "Yes."

They glared at each other as the doctor merely laughed in response. The doctor busied herself with paperwork, giving Charlie and Hermione time to sort out their decision.

"Hermione, baby, we've got little baby clothes to buy. We've got names to pick out. We don't want to stick our kid with some horrible name that'll make other kids kick Bean's ass. Don't name him Bilius. " Charlie cringed at his ancestor's unfortunate name, and the middle name Molly and Arthur had saddled on Ron. His eyes were pleading with her to sway on his side.

Hermione rolled her eyes at Charlie as she resisted the urge to smile. They would forever be having little disagreements like this. But the important part was that they eventually worked out their differences instead of letting them blow up into relationship changing arguments.

Finally, they'd agreed that Charlie would be privy on Bean's sex, and he would make an effort to keep from revealing the sex from Hermione.

* * *

Charlie grumbled at her as they walked up to the walkway to the Burrow. They had dinner plans with the Weasleys, much to Charlie's annoyance. He'd been avoiding his parents and siblings since dinner at the twin's apartment. But Hermione's loyalty to Harry pushed her to be there for her best friend. He had been there for her, after all.

"Charlie Black Weasley, you better move faster or we're going to be late to dinner. Do you really want your mother to take away your dessert?" Hermione knew this was Mrs. Weasley's weapon to battle her children's and Arthur's lateness. Dessert punishment.

They walked into the Burrow and saw that every member of the Weasley family, save Hermione and Charlie, were seated around the fireplace. Harry and Ginny stood facing the rest of the family, clearly worried and unsure of themselves. Harry's face lit up when he saw Hermione, and she smiled back at him.

"Charlie! I thought you and Hermione weren't coming?" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, jumping up from her place next to Arthur and hurrying towards them. Hermione winced as Charlie closed the front door with a slam.

"Where'd you hear that, Mum?" Charlie asked, an intense glare on his handsome face. Hermione suspected he already had a decent guess, judging by the way he'd closed the door.

"Your brothers, of course. The twins and Ronnie were the only ones that could confirm or deny if you were planning on coming for dinner. I tried to stall them as long as I could, but you know how impatient Fred and George can be." The matriarch explained, an ashamed look on her face. She obviously felt bad for starting the evening without them. They'd obviously already eaten dinner, since Molly wasn't fretting about cleaning or cooking. They really weren't doing well with time today, it seemed.

Hermione wrapped her arm around Charlie's waist, trying to keep him from attacking the twins. They'd obviously tried to cut them out of a very important family gathering.

"It's not your fault, Mrs. Weasley. We should have sent word earlier," Hermione compromised with a smile.

"Dear, please call me Molly. Having two Mrs. Weasley's running about will be nothing short of confusing," Mrs. Weasley smiled, enveloping Hermione in a fierce hug. When the woman pulled away, there were tears on her cheeks. Mrs. Weasley – Molly- was going to have a daughter-in-law she actually liked. Perhaps love was a better word, because that was surely how Hermione felt about the elder woman. Molly was hugging Charlie when George spoke up.

"Mum, can we get started again? Fred and I have to open the shop early tomorrow." George's annoyed voice broke Mrs. Wealsey's focus, and she ushered them into the living room.

"I'm glad Hermione and Charlie are here. For news like this, the whole family needs to be here." Ginny sent a very pointed look at the twins before continuing. Hermione noticed Fleur and Victorie weren't around.

"Ginny, please just put us out of our misery and tell us," Bill pleaded, looking tortured. It seems the tension in the room was getting to the Weasleys.

Ginny sighed and closed her eyes. She grabbed Harry's hand for support. The savior of the Wizarding World had a rather sad look on his face.

"I'm pregnant."

Nobody moved or dare breathed after Ginny's blunt statement. Except for Hermione. Who moved from her seat next to Charlie and walked towards Ginny and Harry, and hugged them both. She reclaimed her seat and wrapped her arm around Charlie, and leaned into him for support.

"Not again," Percy muttered, shaking his head at the newest family drama.

"How did this happen?" Molly asked, her voice at a scary level.

"Well, Mum, a bird and a bloke f—" Fred's voice was suddenly silenced, followed by a holler of pain. Bill was glaring at his younger brother, and Fred was glaring right back, rubbing his arm.

"Are you getting married?" Arthur asked, his eyes trained on Harry with a distinct warning in his blue-eyed gaze.

"Yes, sir. But not until after Ginny's graduated from Hogwarts. That'll give me plenty of time to settle down with a secure job and find us a home," Harry stated, as if he'd been expecting Arthur's question. Hermione was suddenly glad she wouldn't be separated from Charlie, with their child, as she finished schooling.

Everyone watched as Molly got up from her seat and ran up the stairs, sobbing loudly. Ginny ran after her mother seconds later.

The Weasley men (and Hermione) sat in silence, avoiding each other's gaze by an unspoken agreement.

"Can I ask why everyone is so quiet? When we told you Hermione was pregnant, everyone couldn't wait to share their bloody opinions." Charlie asked, venom in his suddenly Irish accented voice. Charlie stood and made eye contact with everyone in the room, a harsh edge to his facial expression. An unknown emotion was burning in his blue eyes. Hermione couldn't decipher what the emotion was.

"Charlie, it's okay," Hermione whispered, using her hand to gently turn his face towards her. His blue eyes met hers but angry words continued to fall out of his mouth.

"No, Hermione. It's not okay." Charlie stood up and walked to the center of the room, glaring at his brothers. Arthur looked surprised by this outburst. Hermione shook her head when she made eye contact with Arthur, as if she was apologizing to the confused man.

"Hermione and I are expecting a baby, too! We're getting married, but that's completely out of our hands, and so everybody bloody _loves_ that news. But our baby sparked all sorts of negative reactions from every one of you. Harry knocks up Ginny, and it's all fine and dandy."

"Charlie, son, I think it's best if you sit down and shut up," Arthur said, exerting fatherly control Hermione had never seen him use before. Arthur stood and walked towards Charlie, reaching out to grab his son's arm. Charlie wrenched his arm out of Arthur's grasp and stepped away from him.

"No, Dad. Do you have any idea how the rest of your sons have treated us?"

"Watch it, Charlie," Bill warned. Hermione looked at the eldest brother. He looked tense and ready to intervene at any second. She also wondered if that was Bill's way of reminding Charlie to not lump him in with everyone else. Bill was the only one that had supported their capabilities of handling the situation.

Arthur didn't say anything, and Charlie stared at his father for a moment before continuing. Hermione was almost scared of him, but she knew this kind of anger would never be directed at her.

"Let's start with Percy. Perce here called Hermione a slut. Fred and George dissolved any family relation between us. Ron's acted the worst, but then again, he's got a pretty good reason. Ron and I have gotten in fist fights since Hermione dumped him. Then there was the general opinion that our marriage wouldn't last." As Charlie described the brother's various reactions, he pointed to each of them. The boys looked uncomfortable, but didn't dare speak.

Hermione looked at Harry, and he frowned at her. His green eyes were sympathetic. She hoped he knew Charlie's anger wasn't directed at him, either. It could easily be misinterpreted. Harry walked towards her, careful to avoid getting too close to Charlie and Arthur.

"Charlie Black Weasley, I'm not going to ask you again. Shut up and sit down. Now." Arthur said, his eyes trained on Charlie. Charlie looked at Hermione before carefully sitting in the empty seat next to Bill. Bill clapped a Charlie's shoulder in support, but a frown was still on his face.

"Hermione and Harry, I think it's best if you'd go upstairs." Arthur suggested, in a tone that meant he was not to be messed with. The two in question got up and quickly moved towards the stairs. They didn't want to be asked twice.

"Hermione, my room is empty." Charlie offered, his sad angry, eyes making eye contact with her. She nodded briefly before following Harry's footsteps towards the stairs. Nobody said anything as they waited for them to leave.

They walked up the stairway, purposefully making noise by stepping on the creaky steps. Hermione reached the top of the stairs when Harry put a hand on her wrist, halting her movement. She looked at him with questions in her eyes, but he merely put a finger to his mouth to silence her.

Moments later, Arthur's voice rumbled through the house. Harry sat down on the top of the stairs, and Hermione slowly followed. They could scramble to Charlie's room if the noise downstairs stopped, or if they heard Molly & Ginny coming down. Hermione scooted closer to Harry and rested her head on his shoulder. He smiled at her and wrapped an arm around her waist, his head falling on top of hers.

"Grow up. You're all lucky to still be alive. Ridiculous disagreements like these will tear our family apart. We need each other, plain and simple. I suggest you figure out how to accept each others differences in opinions. Do it fast, boys. You don't want your mother to find out how poorly you've been treating each other," Arthur Weasley threatened, in a tone that disguised his familiar voice.

* * *

Hermione spent the remaining hours of the night trying to comfort Charlie. She listened to his complaints and attempted to make him laugh. The moment they'd gotten back to the Dungeons, they started making love. It was slow, tender, and unlike anything Hermione had ever experienced.

Charlie was currently sleeping against her side facing her and his arm wrapped around her front. His face was turned towards the crook of her neck and she could feel the warmth of his breath against his skin. The wheels turning in Hermione's head prevented her from catching sleep.

She replayed Arthur's stern lecture in her head several annoying times. The more she analyzed it, the more confused she got. True to form, Charlie hadn't said anything about it when they'd left the Burrow. He'd quietly appeared in his childhood bedroom, asking her if she was ready to go home.

With nothing better to do than think, Hermione got out of bed carefully without waking up Charlie. She walked to his bookshelves and examined the titles. It seemed his interests were wide, judging by the man's books.

She struggled to remain silent when she noticed two very surprising books on his shelves.

_How to Plan A Perfectly Simple Wedding_ and_ Baby Names: Don't Pick the Wrong One! _.

What was she going to do with him?

* * *

an: Don't hate me! :) Hope you enjoyed it. R&R, please! And just so you aren't worried-we've got a good long while till the Epilogue. Do you think Charlie's gonna be able to keep a secret from Hermione?


	14. She's a Maneater

Hermione had been one of the first students in the Great Hall for breakfast that morning. She'd woken up in Charlie's arms right after the sun appeared in the sky. Hermione had managed to unwrap herself from Charlie's tight embrace before walking to Gryffindor Tower. She had needed a shower, a change of clothes, and her school materials.

Charlie entered the huge room after the majority of the students. His hair was still wet from a shower and it was untamed just like Charlie. He was wearing a simple blue t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Just as he took his seat at the Head Table, the owls swooped in with mail delivery.

As Lavender reached for her copy of today's _Prophet_, Hermione caught a glimpse at the cover. She noticed Charlie's red hair before _the_ _Prophet_ was out of her sight. So today was the day Skeeter released her article. The reporter had surprised Hermione by waiting this long to break her scoop.

Hermione accepted a letter from her mum and another letter from her favorite cousin, Sabrina. They exchanged letters once a month like clockwork. Besides her parents, Sabrina was her only relative that knew about Hermione's magical talents. Hermione put the letters aside before reaching for Ginny's copy of the _Prophet_, and Ginny didn't seem surprised to see the paper snatched from her own mail pile. The Golden Trio did not subscribe to the _Prophet_ in a pathetic form of protest.

_THE FUTURE MR. AND MRS. CHARLIE WEASLEY Rita Skeeter has had the pleasure of interviewing two of the most talked about members of our Wizarding society, Hermione Granger and Charlie Weasley. Hermione's known as a savior of our very world, and her boyfriend had a very successful stint with the Ireland Leprechauns. News of their apparently not-so-new relationship hit our newsfeeds earlier this month. This reporter was lucky enough to find one bushy haired witch with our favorite Quidditch player early one morning._

_Skeeter: "How have your families reacted to the news of your sudden relationship?"_

_Hermione: "My parents were surprised at first, but when I explained our situation to them, they understood. Charlie's impressed them with his personality and behavior."_

_Charlie: "Hermione's parents have been really accepting of our relationship. Mr. Granger was skeptical at first, but I broke him down." Charlie winked at Hermione, and she rolled her eyes back at him._

_Skeeter: "And the Weasleys?" Let's cut to the chase here, kids. That's really where my question was headed._

_Charlie: "It'll take some adjusting from everyone, that's for sure." Hermione sent Charlie a look that was one filled with warning. That's clearly a touchy subject, witches and wizards._

_Skeeter: "Let's not forget about Harry Potter! The savior of the Wizarding world, and ex-boyfriend of Hermione! How did he react?" Hermione grew tense at the mention of her ex-boyfriend._

_Charlie: "Harry is Hermione's best friend. He was supportive of our relationship." Charlie's hand moved to Hermione's wand arm, as if it was holding it in place. We all know Hermione has quite a temper._

_Skeeter: "Well, Charlie, how do you like your teaching position at Hogwarts?"_

_Charlie: "It's a change from playing professional Quidditch, but not so much from dragon keeping. Dragons and young witches and wizards have a lot in common." Charlie's eyes were dancing with mischief, and Hermione noticeably relaxed._

_Charlie continued on: "Seriously, the students are intelligent and respectful. Their previous Defense teachers prepared them well."_

_Skeeter: "Are you worried about the job's curse?"_

_Charlie: "No. We're living in a post-war society. Hopefully most of the weaknesses associated with the job are no longer around to threaten my chance to build a family with Hermione."_

_Skeeter: "Your relationship is that serious already?"_

_Charlie began to answer the question, but Hermione interrupted him._

_Hermione: "If it was just a casual fling do you think we'd be sitting here with you, Ms. Skeeter? Famous witches and wizards tend to have their casual relationships behind closed doors."_

_Charlie laughed awkwardly, and Hermione's eyes were full of hatred as she looked at this reporter._

_Charlie: "Hermione meant to say that we care about each other. Our relationship isn't threatened by rumors or reactions from the public." Hermione's glare focused on Charlie, and he stared her down until she looked away._

_Skeeter: "Charlie, have you bought the witch a ring yet?" Charlie blushed a little, but it quickly faded when he answered._

_Skeeter gasped: "Is that a wedding ring?"_

_Hermione: "I'm right handed, Ms. Skeeter. My wedding ring would be on my left hand." Hermione's cheeks seemed flush, but the temperature in the room might have skyrocketed._

_Charlie: "Early in our relationship I wanted to prove to Hermione that I was serious about her, so the ring is a representation of my ultimate hope for our relationship."_

_Skeeter: "Which is?"_

_Charlie: "I intend to be Hermione's husband someday."_

_Don't tell me you didn't see that coming! Things are looking up in Ms. Granger's love life. Who would turn Harry Potter down for Charlie Weasley? But then again, who could resist Charlie's charm? Let's not forget Viktor Krum and Ronald Weasley's places in Hermione's relationship history._

"Hermione, count to ten." Harry's voice pushed her out of her mental fury.

"Harry, that's not what was said at all." Hermione whispered as she tried to fight off the tears forming in her eyes.

"Are you honestly surprised she twisted the truth like that?" Harry responded, taking the paper from her. His eyes scanned the article quickly.

The pictures were also deceiving. Hermione appeared to be a dominatrix, and in one of the pictures, Charlie even looked miserable. There was a picture of them kissing but it was so awkward they were obviously uncomfortable.

Hermione looked up at the Head Table, her eyes searching for Charlie. He was laughing at something Hooch had said, completely oblivious to the Prophet article. His tattoo must have burned because his blue eyes met hers across the Great Hall. He rose from his seat carefully as he made his excuses to Madame Hooch.

Hermione's feet worked into a run as she made her way out of the Great Hall.

XXX

Hermione was hiding in one of the little hidden rooms closest to the library. She knew Harry would be able to find her if he thought about it, because they had found these hidden rooms together. She'd been hiding for the duration of two class hours, judging by the noise level in the hallway.

The room she was in had been used as a small classroom, judging by the size of the room and the blackboard at the front. The bookshelves were dusty when Hermione had entered, meaning the room hadn't had visitors in quite a while. Well, visitors interested in the scenery, that is.

There was a soft click as the door swung open. Hermione whirled around, wand at the ready. Her arm relaxed when Charlie appeared from behind the door. He quietly closed the door as he looked at her.

"I would have found you sooner, baby, but McGonagall wouldn't let me out of teaching. And then I had to look all over the castle."

"How did you find me?" Hermione asked, but she had a feeling Harry had told him where to find her. He sighed before answering her question.

"A seventh year girl brought me to this room in my fifth year. We were fooling around behind the column by the door when we heard Snape patrolling the hallway."

"Did you shag her?" Hermione asked as her eyes narrowed in jealousy. She imagined sneaking around the castle with Charlie, unable to contain their passion for each other. She had never done that with anyone, not even Ron.

"Yes," Charlie's eyes did not stray from hers, "but I don't remember her name."

There was an awkward silence that neither of them knew how to fill. Hermione stared at a spot on the wall near Charlie's head.

"I didn't get a chance to read the article. You're gonna have to help me out here, Hermione." Charlie said, his tone pleading with her for some sort of clue.

"I can't stand the lies." Hermione still couldn't meet Charlie's gaze, because Skeeter's words held a ridiculously small amount of truth. During the TriWizard tournament she'd felt more than friendship for Harry. She never acted on it except for a small, awkward kiss. They'd agreed they were better off as friends and left it at that.

"It was in her contract to tell the truth, Hermione. I'm not sure Skeeter's brave enough to mess with an angry McGonagall or even an angry Hermione. What did she lie about?" His words sounded awful and it felt like he was defending that horrid beetle of a reporter.

"Harry and I never dated," Hermione replied. Charlie looked as if he didn't know what to say in response. He also seemed a little surprised, much to Hermione's annoyance.

"But Skeeter believes that is the truth, so she didn't exactly breech her contract."

"So you're defending that horrible woman? She's made my life miserable for weeks at a time ever since the TriWizard Tournament."

Charlie looked uncomfortable with the whole conversation. Hermione briefly wondered if he would try to leave like Ron would have.

"Baby, the rumors are all a part of being famous. Skeeter is infamous for starting rumors that aren't true. You know that."

"I'm tired of being portrayed as a man-eater, Charlie!"

Charlie winced at Hermione's words. He sighed and ran his hands through his already messy hair.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. The people that matter know you aren't vicious and that your relationships are based on who the person is rather than their fame and fortune."

Hermione let out an aggravated growl and Charlie noticeably jumped. He was tense and he watched her carefully.

"I don't want this reputation, Charlie! I can barely handle my own fame, let alone the fame that comes with being your girlfriend! " Hermione yelled, loud enough that she hoped the hallways were soundproof. Hermione instantly regretted her words. They went against Charlie's feelings regarding their relationship, and she felt like she had just kicked a puppy.

She opened her mouth to apologize, but Charlie's voice stopped her.

"I'm sorry, Hermione." And with those last words, he left.

XXX

She was reading one of her favorite novels, Pride and Prejudice, when there was a knock on her door. All she wanted was time to herself. So Hermione didn't answer and she returned to the passage she was reading. The words on the pages were blurry, and she was trying to fight the tears in her eyes.

As she tried to read, Hermione was replaying the scene that afternoon with Charlie. How could she be so stupid? Her anger had shown him that she did care about impressions, and she wasn't ready to handle their relationship fame. Which all meant that wasn't ready to be in a relationship with him.

The knock came again, and this time she recognized it as Harry's knock. She still didn't announce her presence.

"Hermione! I know you're in there, sweetheart. Let me in or I'll break down the door."

She stayed silent, knowing Harry was bluffing. She smiled because it reminded her of when Charlie had hexed off a lock to get her out of a room. McGonagall had not been very happy with the newest member of the staff at Hogwarts.

"All right, I'll talk to the door and confirm everyone's suspicions that I'm crazy. Hermione, if you let rumors interfere with your happiness, you're always going to be upset."

He paused and she wondered if he was expecting her to open the door.

"Charlie feels like your relationship is strong enough to withstand public opinion, including crap rumors. Hermione, are you going to let him down? He's waited years for his chance with you."

Hermione listened for more wisdom from Harry, but he'd left her to her own misery.

XXX

The next morning Hermione slowly walked towards the Dungeons. She wasn't looking forward to the tension that would be in Charlie's classroom today.

She took a deep breath and opened the big wooden door. Hermione's eyes grew wide as she stopped and stared at the person standing in front of the class. Charlie Weasley was not in his classroom.

Aberforth Dumbeldore stood in Charlie's place, having a conversation with one of the students. The room quieted as they noticed her surprised entrance. Aberforth glanced in her direction when he noticed the silence.

"Hermione!" His voice boomed as he grinned at her.

"Take your seat so we can get this over with as fast as possible." Hermione moved quickly as she found her seat between Harry and Ron.

"Where is Charlie?" Hermione hissed quietly at Harry, grabbing his arm under the table. He looked at her with alarm in his beautiful green eyes.

"I don't know. Didn't he tell you?" Harry's eyes narrowed in suspicion as he looked at her. Hermione turned to Ron for an answer.

"He went to Romania. Said he needed a break. Aberforth is here for an unknown amount of time." Ron answered Hermione's question. He frowned at her before turning his attention to Aberforth.

Hermione tried to pay attention to Aberforth's lesson but she was too worried about Charlie. Before she knew it Aberforth had dismissed the class. She looked down at her parchment, frowning when she realize she hadn't taken any notes.

"Hermione, stop by before you leave."

She paused in front of Aberforth as everyone else exited the Dungeon classroom.

"He didn't tell you, did he?" Hermione looked up at the old man, surprised at his capability to notice female emotions. Not to mention correctly identifying the source. Ron should take lessons from this man.

"We just had a fight." Hermione said, but she wasn't sure if their exchange could be called a full out fight, but it was a definite disagreement.

"He's in Romania," Aberforth supplied with a shrug. "That's all he told me, Hermione. I'm sorry."

"It's my fault, not yours."

"Good luck, Hermione." It was as if Aberforth knew what she'd been planning in her head.

"I'll need it. Charlie's stubborn," Hermione replied, smiling at Albus Dumbledore's brother.

XXX

Hermione knew she had to pay attention in the rest of her classes, so she didn't work on her plan to retrieve Charlie until after dinner.

She sought out Harry, who'd been in a corner of the castle with Ginny. He glared at her when she interrupted their kissing.

"Go away, Hermione!" Harry said, closing his eyes as Ginny's mouth focused on his neck. Public displays of affection had never bothered Ginny like they did Hermione.

"You've been helping Charlie plan our wedding," Hermione stated, waiting with her hands on her hips for Harry to respond. He slowly turned and Hermione heard Ginny sigh in annoyance, but the younger witch didn't move to distract Harry again.

"How did you know?" Harry asked, his pale skin blushing in embarrassment.

"I found the books on his shelf one night when I couldn't sleep. Charlie doesn't know me well enough to plan a wedding to my preferences."

"Why are you here?" Harry asked, but his voice wasn't full of anger. He was curious.

"How far did Charlie get in his plans?"

"He had everything figured out except for the date and your dress."

Hermione was flat-out shocked. He must have been working hard on it when she'd been researching their tattoos. She had everything regarding their bonding figured out. Every little loophole, side effect, and expectation was written down in Hermione's journal.

"Charlie was excited, Hermione. You were too preoccupied with the baby to worry about planning a wedding. He wanted it to be a special day for you even if it was forced by the Ministry." Harry smiled at her as he spoke. Ginny was watching her reaction, but she wasn't surprised, and it was if she'd known Charlie's plans all along.

"Did he have dates in mind?"

"Not really He planned it so you could say okay and everything would be in place." Harry answered with a shrug.

"I need a wedding dress." Hermione stated, and she saw the smile grow on Ginny's face.

"Are you finally marrying the right brother?" Ginny asked, laughter in her eyes.

"If he'll have me."

XXX

Hermione had made an appointment at a wedding boutique in Muggle London. Three days later, she was on her parent's doorstep. She was lucky because the appointment had been on her mother's day off, Saturday.

"Hermione! What a lovely surprise." Jean opened the door farther and let Hermione in. Hermione loved the smile her appearance put on her mother's face. Hermione hugged her mother before looking around the house for her father. The television was quiet, so he must not be home.

"Your Dad is out with some of his sports friends."

"He wouldn't want to come along with us, anyways." Hermione said with a grin, and her mother's eyes widened in surprise. She waited for Hermione to drop her news.

"I need a wedding dress. I can't lose Charlie."

"Oh, darling! Tell me what happened?" Hermione's mum frowned, moving the conversation into the living room. They sat on the loveseat, and her mum's arm was around Hermione's shoulders. Hermione took a deep breath and started telling the story.

"We got in a disagreement about the Prophet article. Another wizard has been teaching Defense, and Charlie didn't tell me he was leaving."

Mrs. Granger gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Where did he go, dear?"

"Romania, probably to the dragon reserve."

Mrs. Granger's features grew concerned as she looked at her daughter. Hermione tried to smile but it was a wasted effort.

"Hermione, dear, do you love this man?" Mrs. Granger asked.

"I don't know how it happened so fast," Hermione whispered. Her feelings for Charlie were light-years away from her feelings for Ron or Viktor. She knew part of the intensity was due to the tattoos, but it still surprised her.

"Hermione, darling, don't fight it. Show the man that you love him every day. You'll both be happy."

XXX

an: Might be an awkward place to end, but it is how it is. Next chapter will probably be added sooner rather than later. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews and I hope you like this chapter! :)


	15. Hustler

Hermione stood on the steps to Charlie's rooms as Harry was working on the door. She figured that Harry would know something she didn't about breaking and entering. He was, after all, the Savior of the Wizarding World. Plus causing trouble just felt odd one or both of the boys beside her.

Hermione's Get-Charlie-Back plan went something like this. She made a mental list in her head, checking each item off as she accomplished it.

1) Get a wedding dress.

Well, she had that down. Hermione and her mum had miraculously found Hermione's dress in the first shop. In fact, it was the first dress Hermione had tried on. She felt like a princess in her white dress, and her mother had cried happy tears when Hermione stepped out of the dressing room.

Hermione planned on taking the dress to Madame Malkin and having her magically adjust it closer to the wedding. Hermione's belly was only going to get bigger between now and then.

2) Pick a wedding date.

Well, that's how she and Harry came to be standing in this spot, trying to magically unlock Charlie's door.

"Hermione, he must have some kind of heavy-duty spell on the lock. I can't break in without breaking the door. What the hell does he have in there, anyway?" Harry said as he glared at the door. His arms were crossed as he tried to think of a solution.

Hermione silently assumed that Snape had been the one to put the unknown spell on the door to his lair.

"He must have a password on it." Hermione whispered, working through her own brain for a fix. Harry turned and looked at her over his shoulder, surprised.

"A password?"

"Alohamora. But say the password directly after casting the spell."

"That's ridiculous. Why haven't they taught us that by now?" Harry asked, disbelief on his face. He stepped aside, giving Hermione clear aim to the lock.

"Fifth year Charms. Cho Chang was distracting you."

"Do you know his password?" Harry asked, crossing his arms. It was always a sign that he was about to lose his temper.

"No, Harry. If I knew he had it password-locked I wouldn't have dilly-dallied!" Hermione exclaimed, exasperated. Harry's eyes widened in surprise at her tone. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before he spoke again.

"You really need to get back with Charlie, sweetheart."

Hermione glared at her best friend before she clearly whispered the spell. Hoping she didn't miss her guess, Hermione whispered a password quietly enough so Harry wouldn't hear. He didn't need to know their pet name for the baby.

"Did it work?"

"Did you hear the lock click?" Hermione replied, narrowing her eyes at the blasted door.

Hermione waved her wand again, this time whispering her own name. She grinned in delight when the door swung open silently.

"So I wouldn't have heard the lock click." Harry said, and Hermione couldn't help but laugh.

She went straight to the wedding book. Curiosity tugged at Hermione when she noticed he had another baby name book beside the older one. It hadn't been there the night she'd stumbled on the surprising books on Charlie's shelves.

"When did he get this?" Hermione asked Harry, holding up the book for him to see.

Harry had paused as he rifled through Charlie's cupboards, looking for a snack. He shrugged at her before answering.

"I don't know, 'Mione. Charlie seemed pretty dead-set on Max." Harry said, and he instantly froze when he realized he'd spilled a major secret.

Hermione looked up from the book she had grabbed, focused her complete attention on Harry. They stared each other down, his eyes pleading with her to drop the subject.

"Max?" Hermione went over the name in her head and she whispered the baby's full name aloud.

Max Weasley.

"If the baby is boy." Harry flustered, not meeting Hermione's gaze. She rolled her eyes at Harry's pathetic attempt at covering his ass.

She hated it. The way it sounded seemed off to her. She pushed the thoughts out of her mind and continued working on her mission.

"Hermione?" Harry asked sometime later, confusion in his voice. She turned to look at him again.

"I'm sorry I wasn't watching what I said."

"It's all right, Harry. Somebody was going to mess up and tell me eventually." Hermione tried to smile, but she didn't quite make it. She'd been hoping for a girl to balance out the Weasley men. She'd been picturing Charlie holding a little baby girl with red hair, and the image always melted her heart.

She pulled one of Charlie's chairs away from his kitchen table and sat down. Harry sat down across from her, cautiously watching her.

"Hermione, sweetheart, I know you wanted a girl."

"It was stupid of me to think I'd have a girl," Hermione said with a laugh as she began searching the journal she'd pulled off Charlie's shelves. "The father is a Weasley."

"The two of you will have a girl someday," Harry assured her.

"Not if I can't win him back." Hermione finally flipped to the page with the wedding dates listed. She only wanted to focus on that page, because she didn't want to ruin the surprises Charlie had wanted her to experience. She also figured he'd be pissed if he found out she had gone behind his back.

There were four dates listed, all within the next month and a half. The last one was the day their Ministry allotted 'engagement period' ended. One of his potential dates had already passed, so that wasn't a possibility.

Hermione closed her eyes and put her index finger on the page. When she opened her eyes, whatever date her finger was closest to was their wedding date. February 14th, a Saturday. It was in the middle of the cluster of dates Charlie had put as possibilities. When she and Charlie wed, whether he wanted to or not, she would be seven months pregnant. It was currently the beginning of December.

They would be getting married on Valentine's Day. Hermione started laughing at the irony of the whole scenario. Harry looked at her from the baby name book, startled.

"Are you all right over there, Hermione?" Harry was grinning at her as she continued to laugh.

"We're getting married on Valentine's day," Hermione answered, wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes.

"Well, at least Charlie won't forget your anniversary."

* * *

Hermione began to formulate the third and fourth steps in her Get-Charlie-Back plan.

3) Go to Romania and find Charlie's Dragon Reserve.

4) Talk to Charlie, apologize.

Molly's concern was evident in her response to Hermione's inquiry for the reserve's address. Hermione wrote back insisting she wanted it to surprise Charlie. She hadn't been specific in her surprise, so she wasn't technically lying to her future mother-in-law.

After her classes, Hermione made her way to McGonagall's office to request an approved absence from tomorrow's classes.

"Hello, Hermione dear, I hope you are in my office with good news."

Hermione blushed, and she contemplated telling McGonagall about their baby. She reviewed her Get-Charlie-Back plan before making a decision.

"With good and bad news, I suppose. I'll tell you the good news first, if that's all right." Hermione said, as she took the chair across from McGonagall's desk. Perhaps if she told the Headmistress she was expecting, the witch would be more inclined to let her leave the castle for Charlie.

"I do hope this relates to your relationship with Charlie. I've been hoping you two would work things out," McGonagall admitted, smiling kindly at Hermione. Her eyes twinkled with mischief, the way Dumbledore's sometimes did.

"I'm nearly four months pregnant with Charlie's baby. I'm so pregnant glamour won't be effective soon." Hermione said in a rush, watching the Headmistress for an immediate reaction.

"As long as you consider this good news, I am happy for you both. Do you know its gender?"

Hermione knew that lying was better than admitting the truth. Charlie would be heartbroken when he found out Harry spilled the secret.

"I don't, but Charlie does. Which brings me to my bad news..."

McGonagall remained silent, waiting for Hermione to explain her situation. She took a deep breath and told the Headmistress a brief summary of why Charlie had left, along with her plan to get him back.

* * *

Hermione hated the wooshing feeling in her stomach that came with Portkeys. Charlie had prepared one for McGonagall incase anyone from Hogwarts needed to reach him immediately. At least that was what McGonagall told her. She wondered if it was mostly so _he_ could reach _her_ in an emergency.

Her feet landed squarely on a dry field of grass. She looked around, taking in her surroundings. The tiny bag on her shoulder held more items in it than one would think. Hermione's gaze landed on a cluster of small buildings. If she listened closely, she could hear dragons crying in the distance.

So she walked towards the reserve, formulating what exactly she was going to say to Charlie when she found him. She had a feeling saying she was sorry wasn't going to cut it.

She was a little more than halfway to the reserve when a figure started walking towards her. The butterflies in her stomach increased their ever-present fluttering.

"What can we do for you, miss?" A big, muscled man asked her when they were a foot or two away from each other. The man had black hair and indigo colored eyes that were really an incredible shade. If Hermione wasn't already bound to Charlie, this man would be the star of her fantasies.

"I'm looking for a wizard." Hermione paused, wondering if the man recognized her.

"We've got lots of those around here, miss. Care to narrow it down for me a tad? Please tell me you're looking for me." The man winked, sending red creeping up Hermione's cheeks. He was so obviously looking her up and down in appreciation.

"I'm actually looking for Charlie Weasley."

The man sighed in response as he looked her over.

"You're his Hermione, aren't ya?" The man said with a slightly disappointed tone to his voice.

Hermione's blush deepened. _His Hermione_. Maybe all hope wasn't lost.

"Can you tell me where he is?"

"I wish I could keep you for myself, but follow me. Good thing you don't have any luggage, cause my muscles are killin' me today. Got in a fight with a Horntail."

Hermione's tattoo burned at the mention of the dragon. Memories of her time with Charlie flashed through her brain from the sudden fire inside her.

"He's out with the Horntail now, love, but his cottage is right over thisa way." The man guided her to a cottage in the middle of the rows of slightly differing cottages. He said hi to people that passed, and the passerbys seemed happy to see him. She was surprised that there were so many people on the Dragon Reserve.

He used one of the many keys on his key-ring to unlock Charlie's cottage. Hermione wondered if this man was Charlie's roommate or something. She didn't think Charlie would trust just anybody with a key to his cottage. He reached around her to push open the door.

"I'm Max, by the way." The man stuck out his hand for Hermione to shake. Hermione shook it and she was happy she didn't feel that spark of instant attraction. She didn't have to feel embarrassed _and_ guilty.

"I'll go tell Charlie he's got a visitor. It's my turn to take a crack at the new Horntail again anyway. But Charlie's probably already got him tamed. Your man's one of the best Dragon Keepers I've ever known. Besides myself, that is. Make yourself at home, Hermione, Charlie won't mind. "

Hermione stared at Max's back as he walked away. She couldn't ignore the man's name. _That_ was whom Charlie wanted to name their baby after?

* * *

She cleaned and cleaned. Charlie probably wouldn't recognize his cottage when he came in, that's how dirty it had been. Hermione couldn't stand waiting in silence for him, and believe it or not, but she wasn't in the mood to read.

The door opened suddenly while she was sweeping. She turned and looked towards the door, unsure of her next move.

Charlie was a sweaty mess. He was wearing a shirt made of tough material paired with a pair of pants made from similar material. Mud was splattered over his outfit, and there was some on his cheek. He closed the door quietly and froze when he noticed her sitting at his kitchen table.

"Hermione?" His whisper was barely audible to her ears. Hermione nodded and waited for him to collect his thoughts before she spoke. She couldn't read the emotions that were playing out across his features.

"It's Tuesday," Charlie said, confused. "You should be in class." He didn't move from his spot by the door. He grabbed a moist rag from the counter and unsuccessfully tried cleaning his face. He growled in frustration and threw the cloth on the floor.

"You too, Professor." Hermione countered, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Aberforth is playing Professor for a while," Charlie answered with a shrug. He leaned against the door, his arms crossed.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She tried not to sound scared or desperate, but she didn't think she'd managed.

Charlie's eyes darkened as he looked at her. The tension in his muscles increased as his hands formed fists.

"I needed some time, Hermione. "

Hermione and Charlie stared at each other, waiting for the other to speak. Finally he broke the silence by walking further into his kitchen. He opened a cupboard and pulled out a somewhat dusty bottle of Firewhiskey. He blew the dust off it before taking a long swig.

"_You _needed time? Charlie, I'm a pregnant eighteen year old bound to the same man for the rest of my life!" Hermione explained, suddenly very angry. Pregnancy hormones did crazy things to her emotions. She was also pretty certain that the magic binding them elevated her emotions as far as Charlie was concerned.

He raised the bottle to his mouth again, but looked at her as he took a gulp.

"It would all be easier for you if I wasn't famous, right, Hermione?"

Hermione closed her eyes and took several deep breaths before she spoke again. She had to learn how to control her heightened emotions. Charlie started talking again, his voice full of anger.

"You know, there are women out there that would date me _because_ I'm famous, Hermione! Hell, I've slept with women who wanted me simply because my face has been on the front page of the Prophet! But you can't handle that, Hermione. Which is really fucking ironic."

Hermione remained silent as she waited for him to continue his rant, but she spoke once it was clear he had finished.

"Then maybe you should have bound yourself to one of those witches if you're not willing to deal with my insecurities." Hermione glared at him, her anger growing by the second.

Charlie took another swig of Firewhiskey before he slammed the bottle down on the counter. He walked to the front door and it opened with a creak. He turned to look at her once more before he slammed it shut behind him.

She let out a yell of frustration before she threw the bottle at the door.

* * *

Hermione walked around the reserve an hour or two after Charlie had stormed out. She wasn't looking for him, though. She was looking for Max. For some reason, she thought the man would cheer her up and help her figure out Charlie.

There was a bar on one of the edges of the reserve, a short distance away from the little cottages like Charlie's. She opened the door to the _FirePit_ and looked around the noisy, smoky room. She hoped Charlie wasn't in here—she wasn't in the mood for a scene.

Hermione groaned when her eyes landed on Charlie. He was playing pool in the back of the room with Max. Max saw her first, his eyes finding her over Charlie's shoulder.

She knew Charlie felt the burn on his arm at her appearance, but he didn't turn around. He lined up his shot at the table and took it as she walked towards them.

Some of the other workers that were in the bar occasionally watched her with uncertainty in their gazes. But none of them dared to bother her. It was as if they all automatically knew she belonged to Charlie. Or, they recognized her as Hermione Granger.

"Charlie Weasley, don't you dare walk out on me like that again." Hermione's voice was lowered quietly enough so that only Max and Charlie could hear her. She stood behind Charlie, her arms crossed.

Charlie didn't acknowledge her as Max moved to lean against the brick wall behind him. Charlie moved around the table and shot a striped ball into a pocket.

"You ever play pool, Hermione?" Max asked, his eyes trained on her. A dangerous glint was in his gaze. It was similar to the one she sometimes saw in Charlie's blue eyes.

"Max," Charlie warned, bringing a different bottle of alcohol to his mouth. Hermione watched him drink, and she had flashbacks to the things that mouth could do to make her moan. His eyes met hers, reigniting the fire in her lower back. It brought intense feelings of pleasure, not pain. His attention shifted to the table once again, lining up another shot.

"Not very often," Hermione admitted. But that didn't mean she wasn't any good at it. Dean Granger, somewhat of a former hustler, had taught his daughter pool as soon as she was tall enough to hold a pool cue.

"I have a proposition for the both of you," Max said, as Charlie solidified his shot. She could tell that he was going to miss his shot by his angle. Hermione watched as the ball rolled past the corner pocket.

"Fuck," Charlie muttered, running a hand through his already messy hair. "I never miss that shot!" Hermione snorted in disbelief, quickly covering it up with a cough to avoid Charlie's suspicious gaze.

"I'm not complaining," Max muttered as he walked around to the end of the table.

"Your proposition, Max?" Hermione asked, watching Max's ball bounce off the wall and roll into a pocket. She had to admit she was curious. Who knew what this daredevil could come up with.

"If Hermione wins, you go sort out your differences after this game. Charlie's tipsy, sure, but we'll cut him off now and it'll be like a handicap." Charlie glared at Max, once again reaching for his bottle.

"If Charlie wins, he'll tell you when he's ready to fix your problems. Let's face it, kids, it's not as if your fight is going to keep the two of you apart. The Ministry won't allow it."

Hermione looked at Max in surprise. She should have known Charlie would explain their situation to the man who was clearly his best friend on the reserve, if not his only best friend.

Charlie met her gaze and looked away immediately, almost as if he thought he was in trouble. He looked at her again and there was a definite challenge hidden in his blue eyes. Typical Charlie.

"I'm in. Hermione can break," Charlie said. His words were directed at Max, but his eyes were still on her.

"Miss Granger? Can you handle a little competition?" Max asked, raising one dark eyebrow.

"I love competition," Hermione responded with a wink. Max hooted with masculine laughter, drawing attention from others in the bar. Hermione was thanking whatever forces had pushed her to wear a short skirt. She'd convinced herself that if she felt attractive she'd be more confident with Charlie.

So she was wearing a very similar outfit that she'd worn on the night they'd been bound. The skirt fell an inch lower, and wasn't as tight as the one that had ended up in the hotel hallway. Her shirt was only a little revealing, but with her ample cleavage and a push up bra, a little went a long way.

She fought the urge to grin when she felt Charlie's gaze eyeing her up and down as she bent to break. Her eyes were on his as the cue scattered the balls.

* * *

An hour later, Charlie had shot only once. He'd been dominating in his last game with Max, though, so she felt like it was an unusual occurrence. Hermione controlled the game with ease just like her father had taught her.

Max was lounging against the wall and a few onlookers had gathered. Hermione loved the look on Charlie's face every time she sunk a difficult shot.

She was lining up for her last shot. It was a relatively easy one, and her father would kill her if she missed.

"Sorry Charlie!" Max called, knowing Hermione was going to make the shot.

Charlie watched her as the ball flew across the green felt, instead of watching the ball like any other person would. Half of the crowd cheered as the ball fell into the leather pocket.

Max went around and began to distribute the money from the bet that had been going around. He stood there counting it, his grin growing into a smile as he worked his way through. The crowd slowly disappeared, some with considerable money in their hands. Hermione and Charlie stood facing each other, not much distance between them. They hadn't moved an inch since the game had ended.

Hermione made the first move, stepping closer to him. He closed the distance and roughly pulled her into his arms. Charlie leaned forward so his lips were barely touching Hermione's cheek.

"Hustler," Charlie whispered, using his left hand to turn Hermione's face so her mouth met his. Hermione grinned as pressed his lips against hers.

This wasn't on her Get-Charlie-Back-Plan.

* * *

an: I hope some of you are still around! School sucks. And I couldn't figure out how I wanted to end this chapter or begin the next one so it took MUCH longer than it should have. :)


	16. Monitoring Progress

Charlie's mouth was fighting with hers for control of the kiss. He pushed her back until she was pressed against the brick of the bar's walls.

Her legs wrapped around his waist as she dug her fingers in his hair. His mouth traveled down her neck, focusing on her favorite spot. His teeth nipped the skin there before she got impatient and turned his face so their mouths met.

She kissed him passionately, moaning as she felt his hand on her breast. She pushed her hips into his, unable to resist a grin when she felt his hard length.

"Charlie," Max's voice disrupted Hermione's pleasure and stole her attention. Charlie ignored him and turned her head back towards his so Max didn't distract her.

"Charlie!" Max exclaimed.

"Go 'way, Max." Charlie said, turning his head so he could glare at Max. Hermione took the opportunity to kiss Charlie's neck with open-mouthed kisses.

"Phil says he's gonna get you with the hose if you two don't take it somewhere else." Hermione looked at Max in confusion, but Charlie seemed to understand Max.

He pulled away from her, and her legs slid to the ground.

"Thanks," Charlie said, grabbing Hermione's hand and leading her out of the bar. The others in the bar cheered as they left. Hermione laughed in surprise, feeling carefree and happy for the first time in a while.

* * *

"Hermione," Charlie whispered, gently thrusting his hips towards hers. They had been making out on his bed, which was probably the least comfortable bed Hermione had ever been on. He looked at her as though he were asking permission for something.

Hermione closed her eyes as she struggled to make the decision. It was her call after all, and Max's rules deemed that they spent this time consoling their differences rather than making love. She shook her head no and watch as Charlie's head lowered in disappointment.

"Fuck Max," Charlie muttered, but without an angry tone to his voice.

Hermione pushed herself into a sitting position, her back resting against Charlie's headboard.

"I just think we need to clear the air before things become bigger problems when we're married," Hermione said, pushing her hair out of her face. She saw Charlie tense at the word marriage and she rolled her eyes. She chose to ignore it and kept talking.

"I hate the way I'm portrayed in _the Prophet_," Hermione began, "because it couldn't be farther from the truth. I don't hunt down famous men to shag; famous men find me. And then I get _punished_ because of my friendship with Harry and Ron."

Charlie's eyes softened as he looked at her, and he moved so his back was against the headboard. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her against to his side.

"It's an insecurity of mine, Charlie. I hate feeling like I can't ever have control of a situation. The readers are going to take Skeeter's lies as gospel, no matter what I do to try and fix it. Relationships with famous men come with a lot of attention and inspection by the public. My self-esteem doesn't handle that kind of vulnerability well."

Hermione was impressed with her emotion control as she talked about her biggest insecurity.

"And yeah, I'm having serious trouble adjusting to our combined fame. I'm getting more attention then I have ever gotten because I'm dating you, _THE_ Charlie Weasely. By the way, I'm pregnant, about to get married, and ."

Her last words came out at a high speed, squished together and barely recognizable. Charlie's eyes widened and he looked at her with questions in his eyes. Slowly, he nodded as if her explanation made sense in his head.

"I had just assumed your craziness was because of your pregnancy hormones, but that makes more sense..."

Hermione rolled her eyes at Charlie before she started explaining.

"At first it seemed like just my passion was out of control around you, but then I did some research. _All_ of my emotions are heightened whenever you're around because the magic senses your presence. Then the magic takes control and I start acting like a crazy hormonal lady. Not to mention, I'm pregnant and that does crazy things to a woman's emotions."

"Are you going to be like this the rest of your life?" Charlie asked, a bit of worry in his tone. Hermione glared at him and punched his arm in a joking manner.

"What, you don't like my mood swings?" Charlie gave her an exasperated look before she truthfully answered his question.

"It's just something I need to learn how to tame." Hermione shrugged, as if it were no big deal in the grand scheme of life. She wouldn't actually tell Charlie she wasn't actually sure on whether or not she was telling him the truth. It was mostly an educated guess on her part.

Charlie looked relived, but Hermione still felt insecure. She could try to control her emotions, but who knew if she would actually accomplish it? It might take months, or even years. She didn't know how much her pregnancy hormones were taking control, either.

There was a pause in the conversation as Charlie was obviously thinking about her words and emotions.

"Why didn't you tell me you were leaving?" Hermione asked, carefully monitoring her tone so he wouldn't take her words the wrong way.

"I'd been scared for a while, Hermione. I didn't think you were handling the change to boyfriend-girlfriend status well, and then you freaked out about Skeeter's article. It felt like you weren't interested in a relationship with me now or ever. I needed some time to clear my head and sort out my own feelings before I dealt with yours." Charlie spoke calmly, looking at her as he did so. He was being honest with her about his feelings, and she didn't have to fight it out of him like she would have had to do with Ron.

"You could have told me that... but instead I was surprised like everyone else. I wasn't your girlfriend at that moment, Charlie. I was just another one of your students."

Charlie sighed and started fidgeting with the dragon's tooth on his leather necklace.

"If I told you where I was going, you'd come barging in ready to fight."

Hermione couldn't help but let out a laugh of surprise. Charlie had pegged her correctly.

She wondered if his two days away from Hogwarts had given him enough "Charlie-time", but she highly doubted it.

"Next time you need some space to clear your head just tell me and we'll work something out as a team."

Charlie leaned over and kissed her cheek, gently turning her head so they were looking at each other.

"I'm sorry, baby," he whispered, "I'll make it up to you." He had a devilish grin on his face as he looked at her.

* * *

They woke up in the morning tangled together as a trumpet played reveille nearby. Well, Charlie woke up gradually and calmly. Hermione, on the other hand, instantly sat straight up in bed with her heart racing a mile a minute.

"What is going on?" Hermione asked, alarm in her voice. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes in an attempt to wake up.

"That's wake-up. Breakfast in a half hour," Charlie muttered, rolling back over and burying his face in the pillow.

She didn't understand how he wasn't jolted awake instantly. She rolled her eyes and got out of his bed, pulling the sheet with her. She wrapped it around herself and went to start the coffee-pot.

There was a knock on the door as she finished starting the coffee. She noticed that Charlie was still curled on the bed.

"Just a second!" She called out, hurrying to the bed. She put the sheet back over Charlie's naked body and pulled his dirty work-shirt over her head. She looked down at herself and shrugged. It covered all that needed to be hidden, but still revealed a lot of her legs.

She opened the door and there stood Max, who had a huge smile on his face the moment he saw her. He looked her up and down before shaking his head in what appeared to be disbelief.

"Mornin', love. Is our boy up yet? He's got the Horntail first thing."

"I'll go get him out of bed." Hermione said, blush creeping up her cheeks as Max looked at her. He nodded and she hurried over to the bed.

She jostled his shoulder, loudly calling his name as she did so. He responded but only by rolling over to a different side.

Hermione made sure Max was still outside before she got in the bed and gently pushed Charlie on his back. He opened his eyes so only tiny slits showed, but she still straddled him anyway.

She knew she had his full attention when his heartbeat quickened and she felt the heat from his hands on her hips.

"Good morning, baby," Charlie huskily whispered, a lazy grin on his face.

"Max is waiting for you at the door. Something about the horntail."

"I'll quit and go back to Hogwarts," Charlie whispered, leaning forward to kiss her. "Max can wrestle the horntail all day."

Hermione pulled away slightly, avoiding the kiss. They couldn't get too carried away. She had left the door open so they wouldn't forget about Max. An owl used the open door to swoop in and land on the bed next to Charlie.

Hermione jumped as she noticed the bird out of the corner of her eye. The bird hooted, pecking at Hermione's hand.

She untied the letter and the bird instantly flew away without a treat, indicating that it was a Ministry bird.

"Great," Charlie muttered, watching Hermione as she unrolled the letter. She got off Charlie and he walked to his dresser and pulled out new work clothes. He was fussing with his hair when Hermione startled him with a squeal. He jumped in surprise and looked at her with confusion in his eyes.

"CHARLIE! Play with your wife later!" Max yelled, his fist banging on the doorframe twice. They both ignored Max's complaints and neither corrected Max's noun-choice for Hermione.

"Hermione, baby, what's wrong?" Charlie asked, reaching the bed in two seconds. She took a deep breath and read the letter aloud to him.

_Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley:_

_It is time for you to fulfill part of the requirements set by the new Marriage Law. You have been selected to participate in a mandatory survey to monitor the success of our soul-mate magic. A new committee within the marriage department is handling this project, and they wish to conduct your engagement interview soon. Please refer to your original law documents for further information on the entire process. The committee requests your presence at noon today, and they have notified Hogwarts of your absences. _

_Kingsley Shacklebolt_

_The Minister of Magic_

"We have to go in and be questioned like criminals!" Hermione exclaimed, nearly jumping off the bed and angrily walking to the bathroom. She slammed the door shut, but mostly to get out some pent up Ministry frustration.

She could hear the muffled tones of Charlie talking with Max through the bathroom door. There was some laughter before she heard a door shut.

Hermione opened the bathroom door to see Charlie sitting on the edge of his bed, obviously waiting for her to come out.

"Baby, it's just a routine thing in our marriage law paperwork." Charlie called, attempting to reason with Hermione's burst of temper.

"I know," Hermione said with a sweet tone to her voice. "I was just being dramatic."

She smiled at him as he stared at her in confusion. She grabbed a towel and flounced back into the bathroom.

* * *

When they got to the appropriate department in the Ministry Charlie made a big show of holding open the door for her. She rolled her eyes and walked through the door, swaying her hips a little more than usual as she walked to the secretary's desk. It was his reward for being chivalrous.

"Hermione Granger and Charlie Weasley. We have an appointment with the Marriage Office."

"Yes, Ms. Granger. I believe Helga is waiting for you. Nice to see you again, Charlie." The blonde secretary's tone shifted to sultry when she addressed Charlie and Hermione's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Charlie, bless the man, blushed and kissed Hermione's cheek. He took her hand and led her to the office.

Helga turned out to be a big-boned, tall, brown haired German woman. Her accent was evident in her speech. Her hair was tightly pulled into a bun on the back of her head.

"Please, take a seat so we can get started. I'm Helga." Helga shook their hands and gestured to the seats she'd mentioned.

Charlie and Hermione took their seats facing Helga's big wooden desk. Helga looked between the two of them, obviously waiting for one of them to start the conversation. There wouldn't be any pleasantries in this conversation.

"Tell me how you two met."

There was a brief pause before Charlie took a deep breath and answered her question.

"She's one of my little brother's best friends, my sister's best friend. Mum took in both Hermione and Harry as Weasleys. They were a part of family gatherings and visited during the holidays." Charlie answered with a calm, welcoming tone to his voice and he seemed to be relaxed in his chair.

"When did the romance start? The Ministry based your bond due to your own ... interactions." If anything, Helga's tone became more severe. One eyebrow rose in question as she read the file sitting on the center of her big desk.

"Charlie offered to take me home after a celebration for his retirement from Quidditch. Things... progressed rather quickly that night." Charlie looked at her, wanting her to choose how they defined this part of their relationship to the Ministry.

"Define progress."

"We had sex," Charlie stated bluntly. Helga's eyes widened with surprise. "Lots of it. Hermione's shirt didn't even make it into the room."

"Charlie." Hermione scolded as she tried to hold back her own grin.

Helga cleared her throat before asking her next question.

* * *

The questioning proceeded for hours. It ranged from simple questions like Charlie's favorite Quidditch team to Hermione's favorite present as a childhood. They were assured that the answers didn't count for or against them; they were mostly to gauge how deeply they'd gotten to know each other since their bonding.

"I'm exhausted," Charlie muttered as he dropped into Hermione's bed. He'd walked her home and endured ten minutes of questioning from Lavender when they entered the common room.

Hermione stood by the doorway, twisting her hands together with nervousness. Sometime during their interview process, she realized she hadn't achieved one of her goals that she'd wanted to accomplish while in Romania.

"Charlie," Hermione began with a deep breath, "I'm probably going to mess this up big time, but I just wanted to tell you that I'm ready to deal with this marriage law. I can't do it without you by my side, willingly, before the Ministry forces it. Charlie, will you marry me?"

Hermione's eyes were closed, and she was waiting for any sort of response from him before she spoke again. Several beats passed before she opened her eyes again.

Charlie was sound asleep on her bedspread with his shoes on.

* * *

Class the next day was awkward, to say the least. Every time Charlie looked at her she either dropped something, lost her place, or fumbled around like a fool.

It was as if she just recently developed a crush on her professor instead of proposing to her apparent soul mate while he slept in her bed. She didn't know what was wrong with her. She woke up feeling awkward around him after her failed proposal.

Harry kept stealing glances at her whenever one of her mishaps happened. The class time seemed to last forever. Unfortunately for her, Charlie also noticed her weird behavior. Students collected their belongings and put away the materials they'd been using when Charlie approached her.

"Hermione, can I—" Hermione interrupted Charlie's words with her own, the level of her voice carrying over his.

"Will you marry me?"

But this time she watched him, waiting for a response. His mouth opened and closed several times before he made a noise. The rest of the room was silent as everyone paused to watch them.

"I... I thought that was the man's job," Charlie answered, an unmistakable grin on his handsome features.

"I thought planning the wedding was the woman's job," Hermione retorted in a whisper, just so the two of them could hear her. Charlie laughed and Hermione loved the sound and the way his laughter changed his face.

He pulled her to him, his arms finding their place around her waist. His mouth met hers in a kiss as if there weren't students in the classroom behind her. His mouth was on her ear when he answered her million-dollar question.

"Yes, Hermione Granger. I will marry you."

He lifted her up in a hug, and Hermione took advantage of the height and wrapped her legs around his waist.

Applause and cheers filled the room momentarily before the other students left the room. A few minutes later, and after several passionate kisses, she noticed him look around the room, making sure each student had left. He spun around and sat her down on the edge of his desk.

"I'd been waiting to ask you, Hermione. The right moment just never came up and we're fighting every other day, so I never really knew where we stood." Charlie said, looking into her eyes in a way that Hermione knew he wanted her to believe him. She silenced his excuses (okay, valid reasons) with kisses.

"I have class in half an hour, baby."

"I have class right now. You'll write me a pass, right?" Hermione asked, kissing Charlie's neck as she waited for him to answer.

"Hagrid fell for it once. I don't know if he'll accept it again without scolding me," Charlie muttered as his hand slid up her shirt. "Especially now that the whole castle has heard of our official engagement by now."

* * *

an: sooo... I rewrote this chapter a couple times, and I'm not entirely sure about Hermione's proposal (or even this chapter), but there ya go. The next update shouldn't be a long wait cause I'm on break! :-)


	17. A House for Bean

Hermione and Charlie held hands as he walked her to the class she had after his. Since their public engagement it had become a daily occurrence and one that the rest of Hogwarts expected.

Hermione spent a lot of her class time counting down the time until she'd see Charlie again. Being with him had sparked into some weird sort of addiction. She could barely tolerate being apart for him from the excitement of reuniting with him.

"Hermione!" Ron's voice disrupted her daydreams and clock-watching. He must have called her name several times, since he waved his hand in her face and startled her out of her daydream.

"I wanted to talk to you about... things." Hermione's eyes narrowed at Ron's sketchiness.

"Ron-" he interrupted her before she could finish her sentence.

"I want to help you, Hermione, not cause more problems." Hermione stared at his face, trying to find something that would tell her he was lying.

"After dinner?" Hermione asked, the tone in her voice letting him know that it was his only option. Her ex-boyfriend nodded in acceptance.

* * *

She was telling Charlie about her run in with Ron as they walked to the Great Hall for dinner.

"I don't like it, Hermione. He's probably got a laundry list of crimes I've committed against society ready."

"Charlie, he wasn't lying. I'm not scared of him, even after what I did to him." Hermione thought back to the way she'd cheated on him with his older brother and denied his marriage proposal.

"Be careful, Hermione. He's related to Fred and George." Charlie grinned at his own joke and kissed her briefly before they walked into the Great Hall.

* * *

In some cruel twist, Ron had wanted to meet with her in the Room of Requirement. She hadn't been there since he'd proposed.

She walked in to find Fred and George seated on a couch while Ron was in a wingback chair. There was another one across from Ron's and a coffee table was at the center of the seating area. She took in the scene and crossed her arms in annoyance.

"One of you had better start explaining quick or I'll start throwing hexes for how you've treated Charlie." She made eye contact with Ron, and they both knew he was included in her threat even though it was mostly directed at the twins.

The twins looked at each other, obviously deciding how to approach this situation. She'd speak with Ron later about him misleading her.

"Hermione, we shouldn't have been so judgmental of your situation. It's not as if you set out to trap Charlie into a marriage. We know you didn't plan on this baby."

She just stared at Fred as his eyes pleaded with her for forgiveness.

"Er, we were just surprised, 'Mione. It's not everyday your little brother's girlfriend/best friend suddenly becomes your older brother's baby mama." George looked at her, his gaze focused on her wand hand.

"We're sorry we acted like Percy—"

"Which means we were douchebags."

Fred begun the apology, but George finished it as they hung their heads in shame. Hermione decided to go easy on the twins; their biggest hurdle was earning Charlie's forgiveness. It would take more than an apology for the three of them to work out their differences. She also figured it took a lot of guts on Ron's part to approach her to help the twin's with their apology.

"I accept your apology, but only based on my own behalf."

She was caught off guard when she suddenly became the middle of a twin sandwich. Their arms wrapped around her and they both kissed her cheek in appreciation.

"Thank you!" They spoke simultaneously. Their relationship really amazed her sometimes.

"Don't thank me yet. You still have to talk to Charlie."

"Right now? But—"

"We're fairly certain he'll be in class—"

"And we wouldn't want to disturb him."

Conversations with Fred and George were sometimes hard to follow, but Hermione found herself smiling at the exchange. She'd missed them.

* * *

"So they apologized?" Ginny asked, disbelief in her voice. Her eyes were even wide with surprise. Hermione nodded and moved closer so Ron couldn't hear what she was about to say.

"I only accepted it because I knew getting Charlie to accept their apology would be improbable," Hermione admitted in a whisper.

"Have you told Charlie about it?" Ginny asked as both of their eyes traveled to where Charlie sat at the Head Table. It was breakfast the morning after her meeting with Ron.

"No, he'd had a staff meeting followed by a disciplinary meeting with McGonagall. And papers to grade—"

"And he was seen in Three Broomsticks with Max," Ron answered, placing a _Prophet_ down in front of Hermione.

Harry grabbed the article from the table before Hermione could get her eyes on it.

"You aren't allowed to see this," Harry decided, folding the paper up and putting it in his bag.

"Harry, give it to me."

"No. I know that there is a good reason why Charlie lied to you last night," Harry answered as he smothered his poor toast with too much jelly.

"But—"

"Hermione, Harry's right. You have to start trusting him."

Her three friends looked at her with a dare clear in their gazes. It would be a challenge to get that paper from their possession. So she gave in and went about her breakfast.

It wasn't until class with Charlie that Hermione realized the meaning behind Harry's words. Charlie had discussed meeting Max with Harry, so he knew why Charlie had lied to her. Getting that out of Harry would be far easier than stealing the paper from his bag.

The big wooden door to the dungeon swung open, distracting the whole class. Charlie paused in his lecture as the person who'd opened it walked in.

"Professor Weasley, Aberforth will be handling this class period for you." McGonagall's instructions were clear and delivered confidently. The Headmistresses gaze stopped on Hermione once before it moved to Charlie.

"I'm in the middle of a lecture."

It was Hermione's own opinion that Charlie had no business disagreeing with McGonagall.

"Charlie, you missed our staff meeting and _your_ disciplinary meeting last night. You are well past your rebellion years. This seems to be the only time to talk to you."

* * *

"What happened with McGonagall, Charlie?" Hermione and Charlie were cuddled on his couch after dinner. He was grading the papers he hadn't gotten to last night and Hermione was studying for the exam he was giving later that week.

"She basically ripped me a new one. I missed the unspoken rule that staff meetings were mandatory."

"Whatever you missed it for must have been important," Hermione said, hopping he'd tell her why he was with Max. She had been unsuccessful with Harry all day.

"I'm not telling you why I was with Max, baby."

* * *

_Hermione, sweetheart, I'm not telling you why I met with Charlie last night. That's his business. I can tell you all about the charming witch I met there, though!_

_-Max_

She groaned in frustration and threw the note aside. It'd been three days since Charlie's meeting with Max and everyone's lips had been sealed with the details.

It was a puzzle she couldn't solve and that annoyed her endlessly.

Charlie could have been with Max for a number of reasons, but only a handful were important enough for him to miss staff meetings. She had to admit that Charlie had a tendency to throw caution to the wind with those kinds of things.

There was a knock on her door and she scrambled to hide her correspondence from Max before answering it. Charlie stood on the other side with an odd expression on his face.

"Hermione," Charlie stated with a patient tone, "leave Max alone. You'll find out soon enough."

"I can't stand not knowing things, Charlie! You should know that about me by now."

He rolled his eyes and walked past her into her rooms and sat on the edge of her bed, gesturing for her to come to him. She stood in between his legs with her hands on his broad shoulders.

"I was looking for something today and found something that belongs to you. I figured you'd want them back." Charlie said with a husky tone to his voice. He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, and Hermione laughed at how ridiculous he looked.

"Please never do that again or I might just divorce you."

Charlie laughed and reached into his back pocket, leaning his weight on one side so he could pull out whatever he found.

Hermione's eyes widened when she saw red, silky fabric that obviously used to belong to her. She hadn't seen her red thong since the night they'd been bonded. The memories sparked fire on her hip where a dragon was inked on her skin.

"Where did you find it?" Hermione asked, reaching out to grab the thong that was dangling from his fingers. He moved quickly to prevent her from getting her hand on them. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion and instantly wondered what he was playing at.

"Balled up in the back pocket of the nicer jeans I'd worn that night. I wanted to make sure they were clean for meeting your parents."

While Hermione's heart melted a little bit at the end of that sentence, she also recognized the potentially new information that he'd revealed.

"Was there anything else in your pockets?" Hermione asked, taking a long shot.

Charlie looked at her and seemed to take in her stance and attitude before he answered her. She smiled happily, realizing there was more he'd found.

He reached for his wallet and pulled out a business card that had obviously seen better days.

It was for a tattoo company in Muggle London. Hermione recognized it as one close to where she grew up, and a significant distance away from where they'd had Charlie's party.

"I don't understand," Hermione muttered as she looked up at Charlie with confusion in her gaze. He shrugged and shook his head, unable to answer her question.

Charlie grinned at her suddenly, "But you can check my back pockets for further information."

She rolled her eyes at his cheesy and dumb innuendo but leaned in to kiss him anyway, straddling him in the process.

"What color panties are you wearing today, baby?" Charlie asked, whispering in her ear.

"Black," Hermione said as she worked at his tie. Wait, Charlie was wearing a tie?

"Why are you wearing a tie?" Hermione asked, pulling away from him far enough that she could look into his eyes.

"I had a meeting between two of my classes." His answer was immediate as he slid his hands under her shirt. He'd already undone the button on her pants.

She looked down at Charlie's pants and realized he was in black dress slacks complete with nice shoes. His meeting must have been in Muggle London.

"Charlie, you wear jeans with holes in the knee and grass stains everywhere when you have meetings with _McGonagall_."

Charlie groaned in annoyance and his head dropped to her shoulder.

"Sometimes I really hate that brain of yours."

Charlie groaned once again and he took a deep breath, obviously preparing to answer his question. Hermione grinned triumphantly and kissed him again. He put his hands on her hips and moved her so she was seated on the edge of the bed. He turned and faced her so he could look at her as he spoke.

Well, that wasn't a good sign.

"I had an appointment with a banker in Muggle London. A good impression was kind of important, considering... All right, Hermione, ask your question." She knew he could see the impatient and curious look on her face.

"Why in Muggle London, Charlie? What about Gringotts?"

"I'm not sure Muggle banks would accept Galleons in exchange for a house."

Charlie stared at her, obviously waiting for some kind of positive or negative response. His eyes were a shade she'd never quite seen before in his eyes and she soon realized that it was vulnerability.

"A house?" Hermione whispered, her voice sounding different even to her own ears.

"We're gonna need a place to stay eventually, Hermione. We can't raise Bean in a castle with stuffy old professors and mischievous, horny teenagers."

"But a house in Muggle London? What about your family? Our friends?" Hermione asked, not upset or annoyed but rather curious to hear his reasoning for his location choice.

"I was looking for one on the edge of Muggle London and Wizarding London. There's no reason why Bean should see one set of grandparents more than the other, or be exposed to one lifestyle more than the other."

Hermione felt the tears fall down her cheeks as she looked at Charlie. A worried expression graced his rugged face, and he reached up to cup her face with his palm.

"Hermione, baby, what's wrong? Should I have talked to you first?"

She shook her head and tried to explain it to him. This man was the best thing that had ever happened to her. His heart seemed to be made of pure gold, even though it was tarnished by his wild ways. She was so lucky he would always be hers. It was this revelation that made her realize that she had fallen in love with him sometime during their unsteady and dramatic relationship.

"Charlie Black Weasley, you are the sweetest and most caring man I've ever met. I should probably send the Ministry a thank you note for legally binding us together."

Hermione smiled when she saw blush creep up his neck and grace his cheeks. She wasn't quite sure she was ready to admit her love to him yet, though.

She repositioned her self on his lap, kissing him and trying unsuccessfully to unbutton his shirt. It was much easier when he just wore t-shirts. She eventually gave up and just pulled, sending buttons flying across her room.

"Hermione! That was my only dress shirt," Charlie exclaimed, his voice shocked. He quickly recovered with a sly grin on his face. "But I'm willing to forgive you."

She pulled her own shirt over her head and quickly removed her bra while Charlie tugged her jeans down, revealing a black thong similar to the red one Charlie had pulled out of his pocket earlier.

Hermione leaned down and pressed her lips against Charlie's, surprised when he let her control the kiss without a fight. She moved her kisses down his chest and he used his elbows to move up the bed so his feet weren't still touching the ground.

Hermione thought she heard knocking on her door but chose to ignore it, thinking it probably wasn't more important than making love to Charlie right now.

The incessant knocking never stopped and a familiar voice broke through the door's barrier.

"Hermione! Blaise says you're late for patrol and he can't find anyone to sub for you." Charlie pulled away from her kiss and looked at Hermione, waiting for her decision.

"Hermione! He also says you've missed patrol recently and will have to tell McGonagall if you don't show." She knocked again, obviously aware that they were in the room.

Hermione kissed Charlie once more before she scrambled off of him. She hurried to her closet and grabbed her robe. She then opened the door a crack, just enough for Lavender to see her but not to see Charlie.

Lavender's mouth formed a perfect O as she took in Hermione's disheveled appearance.

"Tell Blaise I'll be a few minutes, but I'll hurry." Lavender just stared at Hermione and didn't respond to Hermione's statement.

"Lavender?"

By that point Charlie had pulled on his jeans and now his button-less shirt, tattoos and scars still visible as the shirt hung open.

"You missed patrol?" Charlie asked, concern evident in his tone and expression.

"I was in Romania," Hermione answered, giving him an odd look. She didn't want to give too much away to Lavender Brown, the school gossip.

Charlie shrugged and nodded, accepting her vague answer. But she had a feeling he'd ask her about it again later.

"A cold shower is calling my name," he said before kissing her and moving past Lavender.

* * *

It was later that evening when Hermione ended her patrol at the dungeons. They were lounging in his bed, cuddled against each other.

"Hermione, I was in the library when Ron ambushed me and asked me to meet the twins for a few drinks soon."

Hermione slowly nodded and watched him for a reaction. "Are you going to go?"

"Well, I told Ron I'd think about it, but honestly I'm not sure."

"I think you should at least hear them out and go from there," Hermione advised, leaning over to kiss his cheek. She was a bit surprised he hadn't asked her about her own conversation with Ron.

"I guess. I don't want Mum getting involved, that's for sure."

Hermione felt her eyelids drooping as she listened to Charlie talk himself through making his decision. It wasn't that she was bored, she was just dead tired.

The next time Hermione fully opened her eyes; Charlie's blasted alarm clock told her that it was 3:29 am. She groaned and tried to turn on her side, but Charlie's arm across her waist restricted her movements.

Her stomach rumbled, and she had a really unusual desire for gherkin pickles and macaroni in cheese. She tried to think of other things that would distract her thoughts. Images of Charlie rolled through her thoughts. Hermione even pictured him holding a baby girl with beautiful red hair and a dimpled smile.

"Baby, turn off your brain." Charlie's voice disrupted her distractions and somewhat startled her. She hadn't noticed that he was awake.

"They're good thoughts, Charlie."

"Restless?" He asked, yawning, as he looked her over.

"Um, I have a food craving. Pickles and Mac & Cheese," Hermione shrugged, indicating that she wasn't expecting to fulfill her craving.

"With a milkshake," Hermione added, "Strawberry with lots of whipped cream and a cherry on top!"

"Dobby!" Charlie called instantly, summoning her favorite house elf. There was a little pop and the creature stood at the foot of their bed. Hermione pulled the sheet up her body; trying to cover as much as possible.

"Yes? What can I do for friends of Harry Potter?" Dobby asked, always eager to please. Hermione made a mental note to sew him a new shirt and hat, as his current ones were tattered. She'd have to remember to speak with Harry about that.

"My fiancée would like pickles—"

"Gherkins, please." Hermione interrupted, a grin on her face.

"With macaroni and cheese—" Charlie narrowed his eyes at her when she interrupted him again.

"Extra cheesy, Dobby."

"Would you like to finish your order, Hermione?"

"No! You're doing just fine, sweetheart." Hermione smiled and patted his cheek.

"She'd also like a strawberry milkshake with whipped cream and a cherry on top."

"I'll be back in a flash," Dobby said, nodding to accept her order.

"You know, Hermione, you're pretty high maintenance." Charlie teased, leaning over to kiss her before snuggling back in the covers.

Her order arrived in perfect condition ten minutes later. She thanked the elves that delivered her meal before digging in. It only took a bite to realize her cravings had long since passed and she actually had zero desire to eat what was in front of her.

Charlie looked at her with a curious expression on his face. She looked at him and then back at her food, wondering how to tell him without frustrating him.

"Lucky for you, I'm a hungry man," He said, pulling the tray so it rested on his legs.

* * *

"I CAN'T BELEIVE IT!"

Lavender's surprise disrupted the quiet Great Hall. It was breakfast time, and Hermione had just taken her seat next to Ginny. Ginny's plate was overflowing with food. There were few students in the Great Hall, mostly girls who were quietly reading their correspondence.

"Are you okay, Lavender?" Hannah Abbott asked, concern in her voice. She and Hermione exchanged glances as they stared at Lavender. The witch was clutching a letter with the Ministry's sticker attached to the paper.

Hermione looked down at her own Ministry letter, and realized it probably had something to do with the marriage law.

"No! The Ministry's found me a man... One I don't know. Which can only be a bad thing!"

"Who did he match you with, Lavender? Surely it can't be bad. Are you engaged to Malfoy?" Hermione asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

"Don't be daft, Hermione! Malfoy's already found some poor witch from America. According to this, I'll marry some man named Max O'Riordan," Lavender explained, rolling her eyes at Hermione's question.

Hermione wondered just how many Irishmen were named Max. It didn't seem like a commonality in Ireland, but Hermione was actually not an expert on Ireland.

"Lavender, it'll be an adventure! Irish men are notoriously attractive and charming. Maybe he'll wear a kilt on your wedding day," Hannah added, smiling at Lavender. Hermione wasn't sure if Hannah's comment would help or disturb Lavender.

"Yeah, Charlie has a really attractive friend named Max and he's from Ireland," Ginny stated in between mouthfuls of hash browns.

"I met Max recently, Lavender. He's a nice man," Hermione added, smiling at Lavender and feeling just a little bad for her. At least she'd been matched with someone she knew and sort of trusted at the time.

Lavender's head snapped to Hermione, her eyes wide and cheeks flushed.

"You know him?"

"He's more of an acquaintance, but he's actually Charlie's best friend."

"Set us up on a double date, Hermione!" Lavender exclaimed, a pleading tone in her voice.

Ginny was smiling at Hermione as she continued to chip away at her breakfast. She felt heat on her lower back and looked up to see Charlie walking towards the Head Table. Hermione had fallen back asleep as he was finishing her cravings, and she had always been an early riser.

"Professor Weasley! Do you have a second?" Lavender hollered, waving Charlie over as he neared their table. He stopped for a moment, looking a little confused, before walking over to their table.

He sat in the empty space between Hermione and Lavender, immediately reaching to fill the plate at the seat. Hermione's mouth dropped open in surprise. It was unusual, if not unheard of, for a professor to eat with students.

"Good morning, Lavender. What can I do for you?"

"Do you know Max O'Riordan?" Lavender demanded, shaking the Ministry's letter in Charlie's face. He grabbed the letter from her and read it, looking at Hermione when he'd finished it.

"Yes, he's a Dragon Keeper." Charlie said, handing Lavender her letter back.

"And?"

"He's kind and didn't seem to have a problem finding ladies," Charlie added, blowing on his eggs before eating them.

Lavender's expression clearly said that she was waiting for him to continue. He swallowed his eggs and took a deep breath before speaking.

"He's intelligent, but not a know-it-all like Hermione. Max has a great sense of humor. He's an extremely loyal and reliable man. He's a little rough around the edges, I guess, but I've seen him watch a movie or two with Hugh Grant."

"Charlie even wants to name our baby after him," Hermione added before she realized she'd spilled not only her secret but Harry's secret. And technically even Charlie's secret.

"What?" Charlie exclaimed as he dropped his fork on his plate with a clank and turned to face her with a surprised and angry expression on his face.

"Set us up on a double date," Lavender said, "We have a Hogsmeade trip this weekend."

Charlie didn't give any indication that he'd heard Lavender.

"How do you know about the name?" Hermione looked at his facial expression before answering his demand.

"I accidentally saw it when I was looking up possible wedding dates," Hermione answered quietly, wondering just how mad he was.

He looked at her for several moments before getting up and taking his plate to the Head Table where he belonged.

* * *

an: What's this? A sort of quick update? That's what happens when school isn't eating up my time! :-) Anyway, this chapter was sort of action packed... R&R, please!


	18. In the Running

When her focus returned to fellow Gryffindors, Hermione immediately noticed the look of shock on all of their faces. Even Harry was looking at her with an expression that said he clearly doubted her sanity. She retraced her memories, coming up with the reason for all the dumbfounded looks.

"Oh. I mean our _future_ child, of course." Hermione chose her words carefully, taking pride in knowing she wasn't fully lying to her loyal house.

"That's so sweet," Padma gushed, smiling at Hermione and simultaneously breaking the awkward silence that was plaguing the table. Lavender nodded, but her gaze was trained on the letter in her hands. Hermione let out the breath she wasn't aware she'd been holding. Situation avoided.

* * *

It was the day of their mandatory first date; it was a prerequisite of the marriage law. Each couple was required to go out on three public outings before they wed. The Ministry argued that it produced better happiness ratings, but Hermione thought it was a farce. This particular date happened to coincide with a trip to Hogsmeade

She and Charlie hadn't spoken since she spilled the secret about Bean's name. She was waiting with the other students who were old enough to go to Hogsmeade, checking off their names as she saw them enter the lobby. She'd assumed she was meeting Charlie here; they hadn't discussed it before the blow up.

"Hermione, calm down. He'll show up." Ginny quietly assured her, noticing Hermione's restless movements. Hermione and Ginny were standing near the staircase. Harry and Ron were with Seamus and Dean, laughing about something that was probably Quidditch related.

"He's mad at me, Gin."

"Why?" Ginny asked, looking at Hermione as if she were crazy.

"The name thing."

Ginny rolled her eyes at Hermione. "That's a stupid reason to be mad, 'Mione. There was probably something else going on."

"Hermione." Charlie's voice stopped her from responding to Ginny. Hermione noticeably relaxed when she saw him walking towards her. He exuded confidence and he didn't look like he was angry. The look he gave her sparked a fire in her lower back.

She gasped when she saw the sizeable bruise on his cheek, an ugly purple-black color.

"What—" She was about to ask what happened when he interrupted her, the look in his eyes daring her to challenge him.

"Can we talk about it later?" He asked, his gaze traveling around the crowd. She nodded, coming up with multiple scenarios in her head. All of them starred the twins and/or Ron. Charlie was always coming back to her with new bruises. She looked at the rest of him, though, and was surprised to see that he seemed dressed up for their date. He was wearing a nice pair of jeans, without holes, and a button down blue shirt. He had obviously attempted to brush his red, wavy hair.

"Hermione," Blaise was suddenly next to her, touching her elbow to get her attention. Without a word, she walked away from Charlie and followed Blaise.

* * *

Hermione and Charlie were silently sitting at a table in Three Broomsticks. It seemed like everyone in the pub had picked up on the tension between Charlie and Hermione. Students were not-so casually glancing their way, occasionally giving Hermione a sympathetic glance when they thought she wasn't looking. She might be marrying a famous and attractive bachelor but she was still being forced to marry.

"I'm not mad at you about the name thing," Charlie suddenly said, his blue eyes trained on her. His declaration surprised her. She had thought she was going to have to bring up the tension and start the conversation about what happened.

"Charlie, I wasn't looking for it. It just happened." Hermione was a little surprised by the wide grin on Charlie's face. She wasn't about to take the blame for it, but she didn't want to put it on Harry, either. That wasn't fair to her best friend.

"I haven't picked a baby name yet."

Hermione stared at him in confusion. She tried to gather words into a coherent sentence but she couldn't come up with the right combination of words. Rarely was Hermione Granger completely speechless. Charlie, on the other hand, was obviously trying not to laugh at her reaction.

"But the name is definitely in the running, baby." Charlie answered, reaching across the table to grasp her hand. She smiled at him and almost instantly the uncomfortable tension washed away.

XXX

Hermione and Charlie were with other Hogwarts students in Honeydukes. Charlie was picking out some sweets to satisfy his ever-present sweet tooth. He acted like a first-year as he excitedly picked out which candy he was going to take back to the castle.

"Hermione, baby, do you want anything?" Charlie asked, a happy glint in his eyes.

She shook her head and patiently waited off to the side as he took a place in the long line full of Hogwarts students. She smiled when she saw him casually joke with Neville, who had a few boxes of Chocolate Frogs and Every-Flavored Beans in his hands.

"Hello, Hermione." Luna Lovegood stood next to her, licking a gigantic rainbow lollipop.

"Hi, Luna. Are you having a good time?"

"Oh, yes! Neville and I are about to go visit the Whomping Willow. From a distance, of course. It's such a fascinating tree. Are you and Professor Weasley enjoying yourselves?" If somebody else had asked the question, Hermione would have thought they were looking for gossip. But she knew Luna was genuinely curious and probably oblivious to the cloud gossip surrounding them.

"Yes, Luna. Thank you for asking. But Charlie loves sweets a little too much. Did you see the huge pile of candy he's got?"

"Dad says that's a good characteristic in a man. It means he'll be sweet to his wife and family. There was an article on it in the _Quibbler_ not too long ago."

At that moment, Charlie paused in conversation with Neville to check on her. Their gazes collided and lit the spark in her tattoo. He must have felt it too because the blue in his eyes darkened as he looked at her.

"I think your dad's right, Luna."

* * *

She could tell Charlie was trying hard to be patient. Her preferred quill had been discontinued and she needed to pick out a similar brand. Hermione was very particular about her school supplies.

"Charlie, I was the definition of patience in Honeydukes."

"I'll just go look at the specialty quills while you're being picky." Charlie said, humor in his tone. He leaned in and kissed her quickly before leaving her to her quills. She looked around and was pleased to note that nobody seemed to be staring at them.

When Hermione was ready to pay, she looked around for him and saw him leaning against the counter and having a conversation with the female employee. The admittedly attractive female employee was flirting with Charlie, but he didn't notice. He was staring at Hermione with a small smile on his face.

She paid for her purchases and they walked towards The Three Broomsticks for a final Butterbeer before they returned to Hogwarts.

* * *

They were cuddling happily on his bed when she finally brought up the purple mark marring his handsome face.

"Are we ever going to talk about that bruise on your face?"

Charlie sighed in response to her question but didn't fight her on it. It was as if he knew her asking was inevitable.

"Last night Fred, George, and I went out for a few drinks. We came back to Hogwarts and broke into the Quidditch storage room and released the bludgers, quaffles, and snitch. I was the seeker and the twins were beaters."

Hermione gasped in surprise when she realized where this was going.

"Charlie Black Weasley, are you telling me that you and the twins played _Quidditch _while drunk off your arses?" Charlie laughed at her horrified tone.

"Fred and George were too far gone to do any sort of permanent damage."

"They couldn't do any damage? You have a black eye! You could have fallen off your broom, lost control of it, or-"

Her list of possible disasters was cut of when he passionately kissed her. She was suddenly on her back and he was straddling her. Under her shirt, his calloused hands slowly worked their way up her body. Her eyes closed in pleasure as he pressed hot kisses on her cheek.

"Hooch caught us. I had to sweet talk her into keeping it a secret." Charlie said, a wide grin on his face. It was almost as if he was proud of his charm.

He kissed her again, pressing his hips into hers. She smiled as she kissed him back. But even Charlie's perfect kisses couldn't stop the thought process happening in her head.

"But Charlie," Hermione asked, "What happened with you and the twins?"

"Hermione, baby, is that what you were thinking about while I was kissing you? My little brothers?" For some unknown reason, Hermione blushed at his question. Maybe it had something to do with Ron, but she wasn't sure. She didn't want to start into that Devil's Snare.

"I love that I can make you blush," Charlie whispered, kissing his way up her jawline. He reached her ear and gently pulled it between his teeth, the sensation sending fire to the tattoo on her lower back.

"Charlie, please…" Hermione pulled away from him. She wanted to know what happened with Fred and George and she wanted to know now. She'd been put off long enough.

"Fine. But once I tell you, you aren't allowed to ask any questions." Charlie said, his voice was stern and commanding. The look he gave her told her he was serious. Hermione merely nodded in agreement.

"I told them how I felt about you; I'm devoted to you and this baby. For some reason they believed me and apologized. Then we got hammered and played Quidditch."

Hermione stared at him, utterly confused. She would never understand the Weasley men and how they functioned. She suspected that there was more to the story than he was letting on, but she decided she was lucky to have gotten what little information he gave her.

* * *

The next morning, Hermione skipped breakfast and DADA. She knew she would get some kind of lecture from Charlie about it, but she didn't care. She really needed to do some research.

Hermione had woken up last night in a cold sweat, terrified that the tattoos and the binding magic would have some kind of affect on their baby. Then that train of thought gave way to a need to research about magical childbirths.

* * *

Hermione heard students whispering about Harry as she walked to the Great Hall for lunch. She was worrying about her best friend when she accidentally walked right into another person.

"Hermione, have you heard?" Hermione looked up in surprise when she recognized Charlie's voice. There was definite worry in his deep voice. He guided her to the side of the hallway so they could talk before they entered the Great Hall. He had apparently been waiting for her.

"No, what's wrong?"

Charlie nearly growled as he handed her _the Prophet_. She immediately focused on the gigantic picture and bold font on the cover page.

_HARRY POTTER IS GONNA BE A DADDY! _

_By Rita Skeeter_

_Our favorite Wizard will be a daddy! A reliable source tells us that his girlfriend Ginerva Weasley, sister of Charlie and Ron, is (already) a few months pregnant! A source from St. Mungo's confirms that the pair had an appointment with the Maternity Department just yesterday. Turn to page 17 for more juicy details! _

Hermione looked up at Charlie, completely surprised. He stood across from her with his arms crossed and he was clearly furious.

"How are they?" Hermione wondered if they had braved the Great Hall for lunch. This is what happened when she skipped breakfast AND DADA.

"A little surprised. Harry's furious, but Ginny knew the paper would pick up on it eventually. She's starting to show…" Charlie said, dropping his voice to a whisper. Hermione noticed the way his gaze fell to her own stomach.

"I need to go find them. Where are they?" Hermione asked, folding up the paper. She put it in her bag to read later.

"They have a meeting with McGonagall. You can talk to them after classes."

"But—" She began to protest but Charlie interrupted her.

"You need to eat and Ron's in the Great Hall alone. It'll be suspicious if he's the only one that shows up for lunch. We need to act like we aren't mad or surprised. We need to support them, and right now that's acting like they aren't on the cover of _the_ _Prophet_."

Hermione thought about it briefly before she realized that Charlie was right. The gossip and drama will blow over—especially when Hermione and Charlie's own news hit the gossip grapevine.

* * *

Hermione, Harry, and Ginny were gathered in her Head Girl room. They were seated on the small loveseat and she was on the bed facing them. Ron was patrolling and Charlie had a staff meeting and a student had detention. They had been dissecting _the Prophet's _article and trying to stifle Harry's anger for the last few hours.

"I just didn't know they would be so… vicious," Ginny whispered, her voice breaking. Harry wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. "I mean, I probably should have known because she's been so evil to you."

The article had suggested that Ginny had been sexually promiscuous and had lured innocent virgin Harry into her bed to trap him into a marriage. Just thinking about it made Hermione feel ill.

"They've never been that cruel to me, Ginny. We'll come up with a way to make them pay… don't worry."

Charlie had said that they needed to be a united, calm front at Hogwarts. But that didn't stop her from covertly communicating with the Ministry or other individuals and organizations outside of the building.

Ginny laughed at Hermione's threats. She knew Hermione enjoyed terrorizing the evil woman. Harry, however, was lost in thought and looked particularly troubled.

"I think for now I just need to lie down and rest. It's been an exciting day," Ginny said, patting Harry's knee and smiling at Hermione.

"Can we have a girls night soon, 'Mione?" Ginny asked as she stood; Harry immediately followed.

"Absolutely, Gin. Pick a night and let me know." She responded, getting up to hug Ginny and Harry.

After the pair left, Hermione couldn't focus on studying or researching. She could only think about that vile Rita Skeeter. The witch had gone too far this time. Honestly, the woman had been pushing the limits for years.

Hermione smiled as she found a piece of parchment and charmed it into a Howler. She thought for a moment before she reached back into the drawer to pull out another piece of parchment.

She was halfway done with her first scathing Howler when there was a knock on the door. She smiled at the man standing on her doorstep and stepped aside to let him enter.

"I was wondering if you had some time to talk…" Harry said, vulnerability in both his voice and his eyes. He nervously ran a hand through his already messy black hair.

Harry went to her bed, sitting cross-legged on it. She sat on the bed and mirrored his pose.

"I'm lost, Hermione. I don't know what to do. The plan was to get married after Ginny's graduation… but I don't know if that's fair to her."

"Harry…"

"I don't want our baby to be born out of wedlock. I don't want people to think Ginny trapped me in a loveless marriage. I don't want our son to grow up thinking he was born because of some scandal or obligation."

"Harry, are you saying you want to marry Ginny _soon?_"

He looked at her as if she had missed the point.

"I'm just checking! I didn't want to jump to conclusions."

"Yes, I want to marry Ginny in a few weeks, if not days. And I want to threaten Skeeter within an inch of her life." Hermione could tell from the tone of his voice that he was dead serious.

"All right. We need to make a plan." Hermione said, levitating the necessary materials over to them.

"I need to find a engagement ring."

* * *

an: Sorry for the exceptionally long wait!


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